Stupid
by twirlingdevine
Summary: Thanks to his sheer laziness in turning in his subject application, Roxas winds up enrolled in dance class. Namine knows her unwilling friend will thwart her favourite subject, but little does she know the year will bring so much more than an awkward dance partner - as boys, challenges and a crazy city trip will teach her lessons for a lifetime. High School AU. NxR. KxS.
1. Prologue

Kingdom Hearts High School AUs are my milieu. This is a remake of a story I wrote when I was much younger… and much worse at writing. It's so fun going back and remaking this though!

FYI: This story is based on the Australian high school system - it starts at year 7 ( ages 12-13) and ends at year 12 ( ages 17-18). This story primarily takes place in year 9 (ages 14-15). Also, the school year runs from Jan-Nov with Summer just ending, and Winter marking the middle of the year. I hope that's not too confusing! Enjoy!

* * *

Namine Small was a very quiet person. She reveled in hushed environments, and had an air of eloquent calmness about her. Her imagery matched her personality well - thin blonde locks that swirled around her shoulder just so, and a slim figure slowly blossoming into womanhood. She had recently turned thirteen ("Oh my gosh, you're a _teenager_!" a still-twelve Kairi gushed) and was currently sitting at her desk, the white wood still new and glistening. Now that she had started high school, her parents decided it was time for her to receive her very own study nook. Wedged in the corner of her room, everything was clean and in its place.

Of course, she had only been in high school for two weeks, but Namine was a perfectionist, and wanted to get brushed up on her academic skills after a lazy summer. She opened up her glimmering new English textbook - her favourite subject, other than art - and began skimming this week's chapter. But her reading was rudely interrupted by a faint noise nearby.

Roxas. _Again._

Namine tried to concentrate, but her hands curled into knuckles as she listened. Although far across the street, the boy's drumming could be heard clearly, if not a little muffled. The same exact tune. Over and over and over again. It was _always_ the exact same tune. Was he completely stupid or did he just love the song so much he had to play it to death!?

She tried to read the same sentence three times before silently yelling in her mind. She had already memorised the sound of the drums and even though she couldn't read music, she was certain she could replicate it on any instrument. The sound had been ingrained in her mind for the past two weeks.

"Argh. That's it!"

Namine finally snapped. Her quiet study time had been destroyed and she could feel her brain turning to mush at the incessant repetition of his drums. Still in her new school uniform, she stormed out of her house and crossed the street, not knowing where the boy lived but knowing she need only follow the sound.

When the drumming evolved from muffled notes to distinct taps, Namine approached the front porch of the unknown house and rapped on the door, her anger overriding any sensible thought. She heard the drumming cease and footfalls from inside, and Roxas opened the door. He too was still in uniform, his white shirt sticking to his torso from the heat.

He furrowed his brow, but she didn't waver. They were in the same class but they'd never really talked, and she doubted he even remembered her name from the class's introductions two weeks earlier. Namine had been especially shy to introduce herself to everyone, but Kairi was raring to meet everyone in class, especially the boys. She'd even giggled and whispered to Namine that Roxas was pretty cute, but cute looks weren't going to get him out of this one.

"Your drumming is _really_ annoying. You've perfected the song already, so would you please _please_ play anything else other than that, or better yet, stop!?"

The blonde boy looked a little taken aback, and clutched the door handle awkwardly. "Uh... Sorry. It's just - I'm practicing for my drum exams."

Namine stopped her next angry sentence in its tracks. She softened. She had no idea drum exams even existed, but she suddenly felt some empathy for this guy, knowing how nervous she herself would get when faced with her dancing exams. She would practice the exact same thirty second exercise over and over again for weeks on end in the hopes of perfecting it. He was merely doing the same thing. His hobby was ten times more annoying, sure, but no less important.

"Oh." She said, then hesitated. "Oh - Well. Carry on, then."

She swiveled on the spot and walked briskly away, embarrassed, the sun shameless for her crimson cheeks.

"Wait!"

Slowly, she turned back to face Roxas. He was wearing a shy smile.

"Thanks. For saying I've perfected it, I mean. I'll move on to the next exercise, I guess."

Namine managed to smile at his genuine tone, then nodded and turned back. She didn't stop until she was safely inside her house, where she grimaced in embarrassment. Had she really stormed up to a classmate's house and _yelled_ at him?

Kairi had said to Namine that high school would be different, but Namine wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not now that Roxas was in her life.


	2. First day of School

"Alright girls, one more time! I want lots of energy!"

Namine breathed deeply as Miss Stella went back to the stereo, her long blonde hair flowing behind her in a high ponytail. She liked to push the group hard, but Namine had noticed immense improvement since she'd moved up to Stella's class. She guessed that she'd be an amazing teacher, being the owner of Stella Nox Dance Studios.

The jazzy number started up again and Stella clapped her hands together in time. "Five, six, seven, eight!"

Namine joined the quick movements of her class mates as they danced in unison to the fast-paced tune. Outstretched arms, flicking heads, precise turns and clever maneuvers all made the jazz dance look fantastic. Namine especially loved the leaps, and pushed herself hard to straighten her legs.

"Back leg, Selphie!" Stella called out, making her critiques as she watched the girls intently. "Straighten that back, Serah!"

The girls came together in the centre of the room for their coordinated routine, and each girl in turn pulled a move of their choice to their allotted beat. As Namine pulled up, hips rolling and hand arching over, she looked in the mirror and smiled at their ensemble. It was really coming together well.

"Yes, great job girls! Keep it up! Good, Namine!"

The blonde girl swelled with pride as she began a turn from fifth position, one, two, then three spins before leaping out of it and rolling onto the ground, into the final position. The music ended and the girls puffed and panted in their poses.

"Excellent!" Stella clapped, and the girls looked to one another with bright smiles. "That's what I want to see! So much energy! I'm so proud of you guys. We've been back two weeks and you've nailed that piece." She turned off the player and returned to the centre of the room, where she curtsied to the girls. The class stood and curtsied back, as was customary at the end of class. "Alright ladies, don't forget to work on your exam theory for next week."

The class dispersed and Namine drank deeply from her water bottle, completely exhausted. The first few lessons back after summer were always the hardest and her muscles ached something fierce.

"Ohhhh my gosh," Selphie collapsed next to her, a bead of sweat falling down her temple. "I _really_ regret not exercising during the summer. I mean, sparring with Tidus and Wakka doesn't really count, does it?"

Namine giggled. "Sure it does, it just doesn't use _quite_ as many muscles as jazz does." The girls giggled as they put on their sneakers and walked out of class.

"I can't wait for tomorrow. We'll finally see if we're in the same class!" Selphie gushed as they made their way down the stairs.

"I know! And we find out if we got the subjects we wanted!"

"Of course we _have_ to get into dance."

"If we don't get into dance I'll be so upset."

Namine felt a genuine sting at the thought. She and Selphie and all their other friends were entering Year 9, the very first year they'd get to pick their own subjects. Of course, they only got two subjects each, but it was still an exciting transition from compulsory subjects. Namine had thought she'd be nervous at the prospect, but she found the joy of doing subjects she loved far outweighed the fear of doing them alone. Besides, she was sure she and Selphie would both be put into dance, and Olette was going to sign up for art with her too. She was so excited for the year to come.

x-x-x

Namine arrived early at Destiny High School the next morning, which was not unusual. Every year, she got so nervous about the new school year that she couldn't sleep. She blamed the receding heat of summer, but in truth the new students, teachers and classes gave her a wave of nausea and social anxiety. But as soon as she saw Kairi waving her over, she felt the queasiness subside and the excitement begin to swell.

"Hey Nam!" Her red-headed best friend called out to her, hugging her as she approached. "I'm so so excited about our new classes, I just can't wait!"

"Oh gosh, I know! I hope we're in the same class!"

"I'm kinda worried about the new class system they're coming up with though." Kairi frowned as they made their way to the middle school area, reserved just for the year 9's and 10's. This area was completely new to them and the buildings were fresh and foreign. "I feel like we're guinea pigs or something."

"Yeah, but I think bigger class sizes will be good. Plus we get two teachers!"

"I guess it gives us a higher chance of being together. I wonder what teachers we'll get?"

They stepped into the Year 9 study hall, where everyone seemed to be gathering. There were teachers lining the corridor and holding bright yellow slips.

Before the girls could suss out their new school environment, a flash of brown obscured their vision. "Ohmigosh you guys, finally!" Selphie bounded over to the two, her brunette hair bouncing up and down as she ran. She grabbed their hands and dragged them towards the teachers.

"'Finally'? I thought we were early?" Namine asked, but Selphie stopped short and pointed to the teachers.

"They're handing out our new timetables! Come on!"

"Oh!" The girls quickly followed suite and lined up with the other early students. As they waited, more students entered the fray, their bulging schoolbags making the room feel smaller. Namine saw some familiar faces enter the building; Olette, Hayner and Pence.

"Thank you!" She heard Selphie cry, and saw the girl holding her timetable with vigour. "YES! I got into dance! Namine, did you get in!?"

"Hold on, Selph!" Namine giggled, then turned to the teacher to receive her slip. She skimmed over it quickly and her eyes fell to the word 'dance'. "I got in!"

"Yay! We're in dance together!" Selphie grabbed the blonde's hands and they jumped up and down together in excitement.

"Isn't it a little too early for this?" Hayner sighed as he rubbed his eyes, clearly too sleepy to take in the girls' excitement.

Soon, most of the group had received their slips and were excited to see they were in the same class - 9C. Olette and Namine had both been enrolled in art, and it seemed everyone had gotten into their elective subjects. They fervently waited for the rest of their friends to arrive.

The next person to arrive was Sora, whose hair was absolutely abysmal. He had clearly slept in and hadn't brushed it. Still, his perky smile and bright eyes shone beyond his gravity-defying hair. Namine felt her cheeks heat up as he drew closer. She'd seen him enough over the summer, but she couldn't get over how cute he looked. Kairi had been right all those years ago, high school really _was_ different... Namine had only ever had minor crushes, but when she met Sora in year 7, his warm nature and big blue eyes just drew her in. She's never done anything about it, but she hoped one day that he'd realise how she felt.

He took his timetable enthusiastically and announced he too was in 9C. Namine smiled, but inside she was positively beaming. Sora was in their class too! They'd been in the same class the last two years, and Namine was so thankful for another. What better way to grow close than to spend every day together? Now all that was left was...

"Hey, you guys look excited. What'd I miss?"

"Roxas!" Namine turned to see his familiar smile. She couldn't believe that that fateful day two years ago had led to one of the greatest friendships she'd ever forged. She was sure Roxas would hate her for the rest of the school year, but he ended up joining their friend group along with Sora and now they were the best of friends. His shirt was disheveled and his hair was also a dramatic mess - all signs of the first-day sleep in.

"Quick! Get your timetable!" Selphie pushed Roxas towards the teachers, and Namine decided to follow.

"Roxas, guess what! I got into dance!"

"You did? That's great!" Roxas managed while trying to resist Selphie's pushing, but she only pushed harder. Not that it mattered, because Roxas was the last student to arrive and his was the only timetable left. The teacher handed him the yellow slip with a look that screamed "You were five seconds away from getting a late pass".

"Alright, let's see..." Roxas started, but Selphie was already reading over his shoulder.

"9C! We're all in the same class!" Selphie shouted, and the rest of the group crowded around in excitement. Roxas was being jostled by Sora and Hayner and could barely read the rest of his timetable. "Wait, wait you guys!" He chuckled, holding the paper steady.

"Did you get into music?" Namine asked fervently. Roxas still hadn't stopped playing the drums, and even though he still interrupted study time, his playing was getting excellent.

"I did!" Roxas smiled up at Namine, and was so lost in the happiness of it all he didn't see Selphie's highly shocked expression over his shoulder. She gasped, long and loud. Everyone turned to her.

"Oh. My. GOSH. You got into _dance_!?"

The excitement ebbed away. The guys scoffed. The girls looked confused. Namine was the most confused of all.

"No way." She said, pulling his hand closer to inspect his timetable. "There's no way-"

But there it was. Dance. Dance!? How... when... _what_?

Roxas' face was white and ashen. He read the words over three times before they sunk in. "Why am I in _dance_!?"

"I didn't know you had it in ya, Roxas," Kairi teased, but Roxas just shook his head in confusion.

"But I reserved music and I.T. How could this happen!?" He looked frantic suddenly, and realised that he didn't know this building at all and wouldn't be able to find the coordinator in a hurry. "What do I do!?"

"Relax Roxas, we don't have dance today," Namine pointed out, "we can ask before the first class."

"Can't we ask now!?"

But the school bell chimed and it was time to head to class. Everyone looked at Roxas with sympathetic expressions and patted his back.

"Don't worry Rox, you'll sort it out." Sora assured.

"Yeah, or you can admit you really just wanna try out wearing a leotard."

"Not. Helping. Hayner."

x-x-x

The excitement of being in their first homeroom class ebbed away at Roxas' worries, and everyone was chatting loudly. Namine was so happy that everyone was in the same class. Herself and Kairi, Roxas and Sora, Selphie, Hayner Pence and Olette... Even Tidus and Wakka were in the same class, as well as a few other kids they'd gotten to know over the years. Ufortunately for Roxas, Seifer was in the class too, along with Fuu and Rai. They never got along the greatest, but Namine liked to think that she was good at distracting Roxas from them. However, the class size was truly huge, and there were lots of kids they didn't know, too.

Selphie whispered excitedly to the others. "Look who we got, guys! Look!" Everyone turned to the new teacher, Mr. Caelum. He was a rather young and handsome teacher, with stark black hair and piercing eyes. The girls began giggling and swooning, but the boys rolled their eyes and groaned. The other teacher was Miss Gainsborough, whom Namine and Kairi had had before and absolutely loved. She was sweet and kind but stern when she had to be, and her innate playfulness brought out the best in all her students.

"Welcome to year 9, everyone!" She gestured the class who hushed immediately. "I see a lot of you already know each other which is fantastic, but don't forget to mingle and make new friends. We're going to become like a family this year with the new class structure. I'll be the mum, and Mr. Caelum will be the dad!"

Mr. Caelum pulled a grimace and the class laughed. Then Miss Gainsborough waved her hands to quieten them down again. "Now, our first class assignment is a very special one. As part of the new program, we've decided that each class will get their own name. So it won't be 9C anymore. The trick is, you have to name the class after a famous person who will serve as the class inspiration!"

"This is so cool!" Selphie said excitedly. "No more 7 Leonheart or 8 Lockhart! I was getting so sick of all the 'hearts'!"

"It's like our own identity," Sora agreed, and everyone seemed excited by the idea.

"So," Miss Gainsborough continued, "I want everyone to get into groups and come up with a famous person we can name the class after. Then we'll all vote on it.

Namine and the others started to brainstorm. At first Hayner and Sora suggested some famous Struggle winners, but the girls immediately dashed their hopes. Then, Olette suggested Cid Fabool, the famous king, but Hayner said it was too historical. Finally, Namine tentatively offered her suggestion.

"How about Yen Sid, the famous magician? His magic was always about teaching kids to overcome their fears and do good things."

"Yeah, that's great, Nam!" Sora nodded. Namine giggled; she knew Yen Sid was Sora's favourite magician since he was a child. "He always pulled the coolest moves!"

"He _is_ pretty cool," Hayner agreed, and although Selphie was disappointed they hadn't chosen a famous actor or underwear model, she too concurred.

"9 Yen Sid, then?" Kairi asked, and the group nodded in unison. After suggestions of 9 Bradford, 9 Disney and even 9 Pluto, the majority of the class voted for Namine's group.

"It's settled then," Miss Gainsborough smiled, and Mr. Caelum nodded. "We're officially 9 Yen Sid. We're looking forward to a great year with everyone!"

Namine smiled around at her group of friends. She could already tell this year was going to be great. Even _if_ Roxas was infiltrating her dance class.

x-x-x

"This is so stupid!"

Roxas slammed his new locker shut and thrust his bag over his shoulder, brows furrowed.

"Now don't frown, you'll get wrinkles," Kairi teased, and Roxas batted her away.

"Come on, Roxas..." Namine chastised, "You _did_ hand in your preferences really late..."

"I was, like, a _day_ over the cut-off! Come on, it's only year 9, they gotta be more lenient!"

"The classes were all full!"

"Of _course_ dance was the only class left. Unbelievable. I bet it was Mr. Leonheart."

"So, what are you gonna do?"

Roxas stopped in his tracks and sighed, looking back at the blonde with a futile expression. "You heard Mr. Highwind. I can't switch cause all the classes are full, and if I don't take this class, they'll take away my drumming lessons."

Namine looked down. How could she comfort him? His drumming was a huge part of his life, and his exams were getting harder but more rewarding. He couldn't give that up now. She looked back up and gave Roxas a once-over. She'd never seen him dance before, but he was pretty athletic...

"Don't worry Roxas," She said, and he looked up at her with confusion. "I'll help you. Selphie will too. We'll teach you how to dance."

Roxas shook his head. "I don't _want_ to dance. I _don't_ dance."

Typical Roxas. Namine shook her head, a crafty grin adorning her features. "Oh well, if that's how you want it to be... then I guess you'll just have to dance in front of the _entire_ school without our help!"

Kairi snorted. Roxas froze and his eyes glazed at the thought of being in front of the whole school making an idiot of himself. "Alright, alright! I'll try. I guess."

Namine smiled. At first she was worried she'd have Roxas in her class flouncing about like a fool, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"Roxas!"

She turned to see Sora and Riku walking towards them and waved. Riku was in the year level above, but he'd been friends with Sora forever and had grown close with the group. "Sora told me you got into dance. Is it true!?"

Roxas groaned. "Sora, stop goin' around telling people!"

Sora held up his hands in defense. "I didn't mean to! Riku's like a conversational wizard!"

Riku slung his arm over Roxas' shoulder and laughed. "I can just see it now. Roxas in leggings and a leotard, prancing about stage. All the girls are gonna _love_ it."

"Shut up! I am never going to wear a leotard!" Roxas shrugged out of Riku's grasp, but immediately found himself in someone else's - Axel's.

"Roxie!" Axel slung his own arm over the blonde. Namine wondered how Axel had managed to enter the scene so swiftly - his red hair could be seen from miles away. "Heard ya got into dance!"

" _Sora_!"

But Sora was hiding behind Riku and the rest of the group just laughed.

"Come on, Rox, this is a dream come true! Remember when you were a kid and you pulled your pants over your shirt and danced around?"

"What!? I never did that!"

"Ya should've seen it, kids," He turned to Kairi and Namine with a flourish. "He tripped over his own feet and his pants-"

"AXEL!"

Hearing past stories about Roxas' clumsiness suddenly made Namine a little more worried about his dancing potential.


	3. Dance, drums and crushes

When Namine left the house the next morning, summer's sting was still lingering. It was so early and already the humidity was too much to bear. She tugged at the collar of her school dress, fervently wishing Destiny High School had a swimming class.

As the blonde girl started walking down the street, her still-despondent neighbour caught up to her. When the timing allowed the two would walk to school together, but Roxas often slept in too long and Namine refused to wait for him.

"Hey," he greeted, sounding a little flat. Namine patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"I know you're bummed about our first dance class today, but cheer up! You've also got music today, right?"

"How'd you know?" He asked curiously, and Namine pointed to the drum sticks poking out the top of his backpack. "Oh, right. I guess..."

"Come on, dance is only for one period today. We won't even be dancing."

"Just knowing it's coming is bad enough. What do I even wear to a dance class?"

"Maybe a leota-"

"Don't!" Roxas shouted, and Namine laughed. Clearly Sora, Riku and Axel's teasing wasn't going to subside anytime soon. He relaxed under her giggles and managed a wry smile.

"At least I'm not alone in the class. I could do without Selphie though..." He teased with a grin.

"Don't worry, she stops her chitter-chatter when she's dancing!" Namine assured, knocking into Roxas' side to appease his teasing tone. Roxas turned slightly pink at the collision, and turned his head away in what Namine assumed was despondency.

x-x-x

Namine and Selphie were practically bolting towards the music and theatre block of the school, eager to find out who their teacher was. Roxas lingered back, gingerly holding his books and looking forlornly at the year 9 building. Right now, Sora was in drama, Hayner were in woodwork class, and Pence was in I.T. - where the blonde boy _should_ have been. He watched the girls ahead of him gaggling and using fancy dance terms he'd never heard of, and grimaced.

Selphie practically burst the door open when they arrived at their classroom, a large studio with hardwood flooring, protective mats, and a wall adorned with large mirrors. She and Namine squealed in delight - their teacher was Miss Lockhart, who had been their year 8 homeroom teacher. She not only taught general studies but sport as well, and was incredibly athletic. During the sports carnival last year, she had challenged Mr. Strife to an arm wrestle and the two were at it for what felt like _hours._

"Hey, girls!" She greeted enthusiastically, and her face contorted somewhat when Roxas entered the fray. "Oh, Roxas! I didn't expect that!" At his obviously abhorrent expression, she laughed and added, "Don't worry, there are other boys enrolled too."

The girls dragged Roxas over to the mats where they sat and waited for class to start. Serah and Vanille came in next, giggling when they saw Roxas, and sat near the girls. Roxas groaned. He wondered exactly which boys were joining when the next lot of students came in; Marlene, Yuna, Rikku, Garnet, Shiki, Neku, Vatinas and Ven. Finally, some guys! He waved them over and they joined him. He knew Neku was into hip hop, but he was surprised by Ventus, and Vanitas especially. The stark-haired boy didn't seem much interested in _anything._

"See, Roxas, you're not the only guy!" Namine elbowed him gently, and he smiled awkwardly.

"Yeah, but that doesn't make dancing any easier."

Miss Lockhart hushed the class as a few more straggling girls came in and joined the group. "Alright, guys and gals! Welcome to dance! It's important to remember that we're learning both theory and practical dance! Your major assessments include an essay on a style of dance, so take notes! We'll also be doing partner work, so I'm glad there are enough guys in here!" The guys groaned. "And at the end of year we'll be doing some choreography for the Year 9 Create Festival."

Namine and Selphie clapped their hands together in excitement. A festival just for their year level!

"Our first lesson today will just be going over different genres and definitions. Tomorrow is our first double period, which means dancing! Girls, leggings and dance wear, boys, shirts and tracksuits will be fine. Now, onto the genres..."

As Miss Lockhart began writing different genres on the board, Roxas fretted over their next lesson. It was true that he was athletic, but this was nothing like basketball or soccer - this was pointing toes and spinning and god knows what else. When he looked back up, he saw the list of genres and his anxiety tripled.

"Tap? Ballet? _Contemporary_?" He struggled, not even really knowing what that genre was. "Do we really have to dance in all these styles!?"

Namine ruffled his blonde locks. "We'll probably just trial a little bit of each but end up practicing the genre we like best. Come on, you might like hip hop or jazz!"

"Jazz? Really?"

Selphie looked up from her rigorous note-taking to wave her hands about and add, "Jazz hands!"

Roxas threw his head into his hands and groaned.

x-x-x

"So, how was your first dance lesson?" Sora teased at lunch later that day. The gang were gathered in their favourite 'usual spot', a small nook between the oval and the basketball courts with wooden seating. Sometimes the boys would play a game while the girls gossiped on the benches.

"Don't start, Sora." Roxas sighed. "Neku was there too, y'know. And Ven and Vanitas."

Hayner almost choked on his salad roll. "I can see Neku there, but _Vanitas_!? I didn't know he was capable of anything that requires you to show human emotion."

"Be nice," Olette smacked Hayner on the chest.

"You guys, we're gonna remake Roxas," Selphie added confidently, "by the end of the year he could qualify for So You Think You Can Dance."

"No, I won't!" Roxas attempted to cover Selphie's mouth, but the damage was done and Sora and Hayner were laughing loudly. "Shut up!"

Namine rolled her eyes, but in truth she was a little worried about Roxas. Since Miss Lockhart had announced there'd be partner work, she was worried she might get partnered with him. She adored Roxas, but she didn't want her grades to be in jeopardy if Roxas winded up being a terrible dancer. After all, how could she showcase her beautiful dancing if Roxas stood on her toes?

Her thoughts ebbed away as the gang enjoyed their lunch together. This was her favourite time of the school day, because everyone joked and laughed and enjoyed each others' company. Plus it was a much better opportunity to talk to Sora, instead of getting caught in class. She watched as he jostled with Hayner and encouraged Pence, and smiled at his genuine good nature. He caught her gaze and smiled at her, and she gave a nervous smile in return before looking away, hoping everyone would think her blushed cheeks were simply sunburn.

"Oh yeah! How was drums, Roxas?" Olette perked up after the conversation died down, and Roxas smiled fully for the first time.

"It was great! The teacher thinks I'll do good in the exams. I'm still nervous though."

Namine chortled. She was tempted to say 'Believe me, I know. I hear you every day' but thought better of it. She knew he'd become self-conscious.

"Are you gonna play at the Create Festival?" Selphie asked, the festival still bright in her mind.

"Maybe..."

"Our artwork will be at the festival," Olette smiled at Namine, and Namine suddenly felt a nervous knot in the pit of her belly. Dancing in front of everyone would be easy, but showcasing her artwork would be much more embarrassing.

"And so will our production!" Kairi nodded, and Sora fist-pumped the air. The two had joined the drama class, which Namine wasn't surprised by. They simply exuded confidence.

"Do you know what play you'll be doing this year?" Pence asked, polishing off his bundt cake.

"Not sure yet. I think it's a choice between Guys and Dolls or High School Musical."

The guys grimaced and Kairi scoffed. "Come on! High school musical was great!"

"Uh-huh," Hayner said sarcastically, and the gang simply laughed. "Anyway, who wants to shoot some hoops?"

Namine watched as Hayner, Roxas and Sora jumped up to play a quick game, and she gladly watched while the girls giggled about Troy Bolton. Her eyes were on Sora the whole time; his adorable look of concentration, his cheesy grin when he scored a goal, and the way his shirt would lift up when he shot for goal, revealing an inch of golden stomach. She felt the knots in her stomach unfurl into butterflies as she watched.

She was so focused on Sora, she didn't notice Roxas occasionally gazing her way, with a look of frustration and jealousy.

x-x-x

The final period of the day was maths, and the girls were busy getting stuck into their work while the guys were idly chatting and scribbling on their work books. Math was not their strong point.

Suddenly, Sora raised his hand and asked if he could go to the bathroom. The school system only allowed this if students went with a buddy, so he nominated Roxas, and the blonde begrudgingly followed him out of the classroom, and into the sunshine.

"Couldn't you have asked Hayner?" Roxas drawled as he followed the spiky-haired boy. His expression changed when he noticed how nervous Sora looked. "Er... are you okay?"

"I need to ask you something," Sora said quickly, and Roxas followed him around the corner, into the shade. There was no one around and Sora sighed. "I need some advice."

"What's up?" Roxas asked, genuinely worried. Sora was always happy and smiling, but he was fidgeting and clearly had a lot on his mind.

"Um... So, you know how I've liked Kairi since, like, forever, right?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Since you met at year 7 orientation."

"Right. Well, I never did anything because I always thought she had a crush on Riku. Y'know, cause he's older and stronger and musclier..."

"Right..." Roxas nodded slowly, not liking where this was going.

"Well, lately I've been thinking... I just have to tell her. It's getting too hard being around her and not being able to talk about it. And after this summer... I'm starting to think that she might like me too. So... I'm gonna tell her."

Roxas hesitated a few seconds before answering. He had never really expected Sora to act on his crush, but he had to admit that he'd noticed it too... on their many summer outings to the beach or the amusement park, Kairi and Sora were getting closer than ever, but there was still an air of tumultuous uncertainty about it all. He was happy for his friend, truly... but there was a little problem with all of this.

Roxas knew that Namine had a crush on Sora.

It would completely break her heart if Sora asked Kairi out. She was head over heels for him! Roxas knew he couldn't stop Sora from asking Kairi out, but he wanted to protect Namine more than anything. How could he do that, though?

"Really? That's great, Sora. I think she feels the same way too," Roxas assured, and Sora smiled widely at this. "So... when do you think you'll do it?"

"I'm not sure yet. I want to make it really special, so I have to think about it... that's why I wanted to ask you. Do you think you could help me come up with a really nice way of asking her out?"

Roxas scratched the back of his neck nervously. "I'd love to help, Sora, but I'm not so good at that stuff..."

"Oh come on, you haven't even tried anything with Namine yet," Sora slapped his friend's arm, and Roxas blushed something fierce. "Just think of some ideas, okay? I'll need all the help I can get."

"Alright... I'll be rooting for you either way."

"Thanks Roxas, you're a great friend." Sora smiled, and Roxas felt a tinge of guilt. "Let's head back."

Roxas kept a watchful eye on Namine for the rest of the afternoon. She was completely oblivious to Sora's feelings... but maybe he had time to change her mind before Sora broke her heart.


	4. Swimming Sports

"I bought _loads_ of blue stuff! Blue eyeliner, blue streamers, blue hats, blue zinc…"

"Do you like my new blue dress? I bought it just for today!"

"I have a blue swimsuit to wear!"

"Okay guys, let's get ready before the buses get here!"

Namine was in a daze of blue hues in the classroom. The smell of blue hairspray filled the air, reminding her strongly of her dance concerts, and the excitement welled up inside her. It was the third week into school, and the swimming sports carnival was today. Summer was clinging on for as long as it could, and the sun was gloriously warm today, perfect for swimming. 9 Yen Sid were gathered in their home room class, chatting loudly and clad in different coloured outfits; blue, yellow, red and green, the school house colours. As Namine and the others were all in the same class in year 7, they were all placed in the same house. Everyone was adorned in blue, but Kairi, Selphie and Sora were especially going over the top for their house sports team. Sora's normal brown spikes were a blinding blue shade, and he wore a blue tank top and shorts with blue stripes. Selphie had decked out in a blue crop top, a tulle aqua skirt, and a blue feather boa. Kairi was wearing a sequined blue hat, had her hair in small plaits with blue ribbons tied to each end, and blue lipstick 'army' stripes across her cheeks.

"Namine, I'll get you ready!" Kairi bounced over to Namine's side and grabbed her arm, using the same lipstick to write 'BLUE HOUSE RULES' down her arm. Then she proceeded to spray Namine's hair with blue glitter spray, and her pale blonde hair became a cerulean hue. Most of the glitter fell on Namine's already blue clothes. "Wait, I almost forgot the best part!" Kairi pulled from her bag a matching sparkly blue hat, and plopped it on Namine's head.

"You've outdone yourself this year, Kairi," Olette giggled, who had already been victim to Kairi's dress-ups and was very blue herself. Namine just giggled and lapped up the excitement. She loved these days where she could just relax with her school friends. But more importantly, these kind of days were always great for bonding with a certain boy...

The said boy was currently tormenting Hayner to wear Selphie's blue fairy wings, to which he grimaced and cringed and physically recoiled from something so girly. Sora was laughing with joy and Namine couldn't stop watching him.

"Roxas, you need blue war stripes too," Kairi announced as she stepped over to the once-blonde boy, who was also clad in blue clothes and dyed hair. Roxas snapped out of what appeared to be serious thought.

"Huh? Oh, thanks Kairi." He stayed still as Kairi drew carefully on his face. His thoughts were muddled and distracted, filled with ways he could deter Namine from wanting to spend time with Sora. He thought maybe a sabotage trick would work, but he didn't want to ruin their friendship altogether. What could he do...

He was so lost in thought he didn't realise Kairi was actually drawing cat whiskers and a nose, and the poor unsuspecting boy only noticed when Sora, Hayner and Pence burst out with laughter. "What? What's so funny!?"

"You're pretty, Roxas," Kairi teased, and Roxas snatched her compact mirror to look at himself. The boys laughter escalated as Roxas looked at his reflection in horror. "Shut up! _Kairi_!"

"The buses are here!"

Before Roxas could kill the russet haired girl, Miss Gainsborough, clad in yellow, ushered the group to the buses, where Mr Caelum was marking the roll, dressed in red.

"No swapping buses, okay? We're going in our home groups, so stick together." He warned, his hair now a flaming red. It made Namine snigger, knowing their friend Axel was also in red house and didn't actually need to change his hair colour. If she listened carefully, she could probably here him wooping at a nearby bus with Riku and Terra.

"Stick with the family!" Miss Gainsborough teased. Selphie commented on their teacher's yellow sundress and she beamed with pride. The group clambered onto the bus to try and claim the back seats, but Tidus and Wakka had beaten them, decked out in their yellow outfits. They had even made custom flags and had painted their blitzballs a bright blinding yellow, and were throwing them around in excitement. The gang ended up sitting with them, and the back of the bus was very noisy indeed.

Namine tried to secure a seat next to Sora, but Roxas had claimed that spot, so she was instead wedged next to Selphie, with Kairi and Olette in the seats in front. She leaned across eagerly so she could chat with Sora and see him, even though it made her a little car sick.

The ride to the swimming sport centre was short and loud, and everyone quickly clambered off the bus to score the prized area of the aquatic centre; the shady area between the relay pool and the waterslide. Prime real estate and always snatched up quickly. Sora and Roxas raced each other, and miraculously, there was nobody there. The year 12 bus must have been delayed, because the racous year 9's were the first to arrive at the pools. The sun was beaming hot and the boys helped to put up the tent Selphie had brought along. The tent was an unfortunate pink colour, but Selphie vouched it was a 'neutral' colour.

Soon everyone had laid out their towels around the tent, and Wakka and Tidus joined them, along with Riku and Axel, Terra and Aqua. Riku was telling everyone about how Mr. Strife almost threw up on their bus and Miss Lockhart had to tend to him.

"I got the snacks!" Olette pulled out an assortment of crisps, chocolates, doritos and dip, pretzels and cans of drink. "We even had enough munny for a watermelon!"

"Watch out!" Hayner emerged from the tent with the watermelon. Namine blinked. Exactly how had he smuggled that onto the bus? Riku and Axel hooted with vigour.

Mr. Fair, the sportiest teacher of all and the leader of the blue house, began to announce the race orders. First up with the year 7's, so everyone relaxed and started to snack and chat while watching the races.

"I remember the first swimming sports we had," Hayner smirked, "Roxas was so scrawny."

"H-Hey!" Roxas puffed in indignation, "I was not!"

"Was he wearing speedos?" Axel teased, and Roxas hit him hard in the side, but he only laughed it off. "And your mum promised you'd grow into them..."

Roxas pouted, but then lit up. "Do I need to tell everyone the story of that party you went to last year?"

Axel's face grew stiff with embarrassment. "Wait-"

"These guys dared him to shave his bu-"

"Roxas used to wet his bed!" Axel countered before Roxas could finish, and the two ended up in a playful tousle while they continued to spout out embarrassing childhood stories.

Kairi and Selphie were currently oggling at their phones, giggling and chatting about celebrities, and Olette was having a heated debate with Hayner and Pence about how best to cut up the watermelon ("how could you forget a _knife_ , Hayner!?"), but Namine was quietly scooting closer to Sora, feigning her movement as reaching over for a dorito.

"Sora, you're racing today, right?" She piped up, and he tore his attention away from the boys.

"Yeah!" He held his arm outwards and grabbed his bicep. "I've been training and everything! I'm gonna beat Hayner this year!"

Namine giggled sweetly. "I'll be rooting for you, Sora!"

Roxas stopped wrestling with Axel long enough to hear this exchange, and in his moment of hesitation, Axel caught him in a headlock and began rubbing his spikes. "O-Ow! Hey!"

 _I've gotta stop them from talking...!_ Roxas thought desperately. He batted Axel away and admitted defeat, and the gang settled down for a moment. He had to think of something quick, but what...?

He hated to do this to Namine, but he decided to kill two birds with one stone.

"Hey, Kairi, you look kind of flustered," The blonde commented, taking advantage of her perch in the sunlight. She was probably just aiming to get a tan, but he knew she wouldn't pass this next offer up. "Maybe you should cool down with some ice cream. I think I saw they had sea-salt flavour at the vendors inside.

"Really? It's my favourite," She gushed, "Next to paopu flavour of course."

"Me too! Let's go get some!" Sora jumped up, and that was exactly what Roxas was hoping for. Sora was hopeless when it came to sweets. "You guys wait here and we'll grab some!"

"Okay!" Kairi hopped up and the two started to walk off before anyone could say otherwise, but Roxas managed to elbow Sora in the sides and mouth 'alone time!', to which Sora gave a lopsided smile and scampered off.

Roxas looked back and saw Namine looking disappointed and probably mid-sentence. He felt the prickle of guilt seep into him. Was he doing the right thing...?

x-x-x

But Namine wasn't going to give up. She may not have had much time with Sora at the tent, but it was time for the boys to race, and Namine was going to be the first person Sora saw when he got out of that pool. She was sure of it.

The girls were parked on the side of the pool. Roxas, Hayner and Sora were standing in a row, stretching and glaring and pulling offensive gestures at each other in friendly competition. Mr. Leonheart gave them a warning look and they all looked sheepish. Tidus, Wakka, Ventus and Neku were also a part of the race.

"Come on Sora!" Namine called out, jumping up with down with each word. "You can do it!"

"Why are you rooting just for Sora?" Selphie asked curiously, and Kairi had a slightly jealous look on her face, but Namine didn't notice.

"Well, Sora lost to them both last year," Namine quickly covered, realising her mistake. Absolutely nobody knew about her crush on Sora. At least, she didn't think so - she hadn't told a soul, not even her best friend. "He deserves to win this time!"

"Oh yeah! He lost so bad last year!" Selphie agreed, oblivious to Namine's crush, but Kairi looked a little more suspicious. Any frustrations however were forgotten when the race began. The boys launched themselves into the water, leaving great splashes in their wake, and the girls were standing so close they got wet too.

"Eek! My skirt!" Selphie flailed and Olette giggled. Kairi and Namine cheered loudly as they watched the boys. Roxas, Sora and Hayner were neck and neck. The girls walked alongside the pool, following their every move.

"Ooh, it's so close!" Kairi shrieked, biting her fingernails in anticipation. They began to lightly sprint to keep up with the boys, but Namine was a step ahead. She had this wonderful fantasy of reaching her hand out to Sora and him taking it in gratitude after the race. She could just imagine his wet hair slicking to his cheeks, his warm smile, his bare torso... The butterflies in her stomach grew. She just _had_ to be there.

The girls had reached the end of the pool now and the splashes were getting larger. They were almost at the finish line...!

Namine was sure she knew which boy was Sora, but each boy had dyed their hair blue and were looking terribly similar under the water. Still, she had her eyes locked on Sora the entire time. She waited at the end of his lane. He was going to win!

She held out her hand, ready for her fantasy to come true -

The winner slapped their hand to the end of the lane and emerged from the water, shaking the water from his hair. He smiled brightly when he saw Namine, but the girl faltered.

Roxas!?

How had she mixed them up!? She was sure she had her eyes on Sora the whole time. As Roxas took her hand, she looked over and saw Kairi greeting Sora at the finish, patting him on the back. He gave her the warmest smile ever. Namine was so jealous. Kairi didn't even like Sora in that way and she got the amazing experience!?

She didn't realise she was still holding hands with Roxas and quickly retreated, a little flustered. "S-Sorry. Well done, Roxas!"

"Thanks," He smiled, his cheeks aflame from holding her hand. The moment was dulled by the looked in her eyes when she looked at Sora, though. Roxas knew it would take a lot more than avoidance for Namine to get over her crush.

x-x-x

"I can't wait!" Selphie gushed as she climbed the steps eagerly. Everyone had decided it was time to ride on the waterslide, but the line had been extremely long, and the sun was bearing down on them. The girls had stripped off to their bathing suits, while the guys hadn't changed since their race, and everyone was hot and ready for the cool, gushing water.

Namine was especially hot, and the sheer height of the thing wasn't boding well with her. She thought it might be a perfect opportunity for Sora to care for her, but he seemed preoccupied. She huffed and heaved audibly, but but didn't blink an eye as he chatted with Hayner and jostled with Kairi.

"Are you okay?" Olette asked the blonde, patting her shoulder, "You look a little sunburned."

"I'm okay," She shook her head, but made sure her tone suggested anything but. They were getting closer to the top of the slide now. They heard the hooting of Axel as he went down the slippery turns.

"Don't worry, the water will cool you down," Roxas assured, patting her on the back. She smiled up at him, but quickly turned her attention back to Sora.

"We're next!"

The group formed a line, and Namine tactfully wedged herself between Roxas and Sora, finally achieving some closeness with the brunette. She leaned close to him, looking a little sorry for herself, and Sora finally noticed.

"Are you sure you should ride, Nam? You look a little pale..."

"Oh!" She perked up visibly, "I-I'm okay, but I think I need someone to watch over me."

"Huh... what you need is a slide buddy!"

Namine's eyes widened and the butterflies reemerged. "S-Slide buddy?"

"Yeah! Someone to go down the slide with to make sure you're okay! And I know just the guy!"

Namine thought this was a dream come true. Sora was going to go down the slide with her! Would he sit behind her? Hold her? Dear gods, it was finally happening!"

"Roxas! Protect Namine!"

Roxas!?

Sora gave the blonde a lewd wink, and reassured Namine that Roxas would take care of her before launching himself down the slide after Kairi. Namine stood, dumbstruck. The pool employee ushered her along and Roxas gently tapped her shoulder.

"Er, are you sure you're okay? I can go down with you..."

She smiled solemnly, but she did appreciate the offer, because she _was_ feeling a little heat stroke. "Thanks, Roxas. I'll be okay."

x-x-x

The day was slowly coming to an end. The year 12's had launched themselves into the pool as a tribute to their final swimming sports, and red house was announced as the winner, which was mostly thanks to Axel entering - and winning - almost every event he could. While downtrodden that blue house had lost, the gang were basking in the joy of their great day together, and were finishing off the last of the watermelon that Hayner had cracked open with a rock (much to Olette's dismay). Once finished, they packed up the tent and went to get changed before heading back onto the buses.

In the boys' locker room, Roxas was bragging about his win and Hayner was complaining of a stomachache from too much watermelon. While Pence told Hayner off, Sora elbowed Roxas lightly and whispered, "Thanks for that excuse to be with Kairi earlier, Rox. I still don't know how to tell her, but I just love spending time with her." Roxas smiled, assured Sora he would try and think of something, and again felt the guilt creeping up inside him. Stalling Sora and keeping Namine away from him was proving exhausting.

The bus ride home was much quieter, with everyone exhausted from swimming. Tidus and Wakka had fallen fast asleep in the backseat, and Roxas and Sora were putting various items from their items into their pants as a joke. Namine watched in amusement, but was feeling a little deflated from her poor attempts at getting closer with Sora. They were already great friends, there was no doubting that - but Namine was ready for the moments that really sparked the tingles and the spark of romance.

At dance that evening, with her and Selphie still wearing their blue-covered lipstick designs on their arms, Namine thought about how she could change the rift between friendship and romance without explicitly telling Sora. Just the thought of doing so made her queasy. Maybe, she should finally tell somebody else about her crush, and get some help... but who should she ask?


	5. Roxas tries

Thanks for the reviews lovelies! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Roxas was feeling unbelievably nauseous. He was currently clad in his sport shorts and a grey tank top. The quad-spiked necklace he always wore under his school shirt was now visible, and anyone looking at him would guess he was about to take a sports class. But right now, he was standing between Namine and Neku and staring stupidly up at Miss Lockhart, his thoughts blurring.

Namine turned her head and couldn't help but hold back a chuckle. He looked so scared of what was about to happen, when it was something as commonplace as a dance class. He looked like he wanted the floor to open up and suck him in, taking him anywhere but this place. She quickly gave him a pat on the shoulder and whispered, "Don't worry, it's just a warm-up."

He smiled nervously and shook his arms in preparation, but he breathed deeply to calm himself down. She wondered why he was so nervous. Sure, he had stated he couldn't dance, but how bad could he be if he could handle a skateboard, and move swiftly around a basketball court?

The music started and Miss Lockhart's stark hair swished behind her as she started the classes' exercises. They were simple stretches, including head and shoulder isolations, leg stretching, floor work and partnered stretching. Namine noted Roxas' natural flexibility as he reached down to touch his toes with ease. She smiled - he wasn't bad at all! Maybe she needn't have worried about the partner stuff after all.

"Alright guys, we're gonna do a short routine to demonstrate the jazz genre," Miss Lockhart announced with a passionate flair, and changed the song on the stereo.

"Jazz hands at the ready, guys?" Selphie giggled, and Roxas cringed. Namine shook her head.

"Don't worry Roxas, no jazz hands required. You'll be fine," She reassured. If his stretching was anything to go by, he might actually make a _good_ dance partner. The blonde boy smiled down at her, but the nervousness was still in his eyes.

Miss Lockhart stood front and centre as the jazzy number started up. "We're gonna start in this position, then flick our heads and arms back, roll the right side around," She began to move her right arm and leg in a circular motion and the class followed, "Then a hop and a turn," she moved in time and the class followed suite. "Good! One more time. Five! Six! Seven! Eight!"

It was during this routine that Namine discovered Roxas' true dance skills.

His flexibility did nothing to aid him in his awful coordination. He struggled to keep up when the pace increased, and he often moved in the wrong direction and bumped into the people beside him. The classroom wasn't terribly huge, but there was enough room to dance together, and Namine prayed to the dancing gods that Roxas was just getting used to it.

An hour later, he had not gotten used to it. He had bumped into Neku, stood on Selphie's toes, and slipped backwards during a turn and fallen on his behind. The only person he had managed to avoid was Namine herself. She buried her hands in her face as she watched him fall. How could he be this terrible!?

By the end of the class, Roxas was in a very grumpy mood.

"Gods dammit all I hate dancing I hate it I bloody hate turning I hate quick steps I hate pointing my toes I hate it I hate it-"

"Roxas, it wasn't that bad," Selphie rolled her eyes, watching him stuff his dance gear into his bag ferociously. "You just need some more practice."

He hung his head into his bag and sighed heavily. "I have to dance in front of the entire year level. I'm gonna be at the bottom of the barrel."

"How popular were you really, anyway?"

Namine missed Selphie's quip and didn't laugh. She was too busy worrying about his performance. Could dancing that terribly really be salvaged with practice? She wondered how he could be so nimble on the sports field, but so awkward on the dance floor. She felt sorry for his future wife on their wedding day, _that_ was for sure. But for now, she felt more sorry for herself - what if he was picked as her dance partner!?

"Good job today, boys and girls," Miss Lockhart gave a thumbs up to the group as they packed their things. "Next lesson we're going over dance theory and timing. Then our next prac lesson will be focused on 3-4 and 4-4 time-steps. Homework: practice today's routine!"

"3-4 what?" Roxas asked, utterly confused. Selphie petted his blonde locks.

"There, there, uneducated child..."

"Stop patronising me!"

Namine snickered this time, reminding herself that dance partners weren't even assigned yet, and there was probably a slim chance that she'd actually get Roxas as a partner. Though she wondered if she could bribe Miss Lockhart into picking Neku instead.

x-x-x

Back in the safely of their homeroom class, the group were working hard on their first creative English assignment. Most of the class were engaged and writing away, but Roxas was far from peachy.

"Ow..." The blonde boy tried to discreetly rub his lower back where he'd fallen, but his slip in class wouldn't get by the others.

"Did you break your butt, Roxas?" Sora whispered rather loudly, and the group around them giggled and laughed. Roxas swatted the air near Sora's face and pouted.

"Like you didn't just fall over the other week during cricket."

"Yeah, but I didn't land on my bu-" Namine quickly covered Sora's mouth, partly to protect Roxas and partly to try and start a cute interaction between the two of them. Besides, any excuse to get closer to him was a good one. He escaped from her clutches and chuckled at her efforts. "Alright, alright. We're still proud of you, Roxas."

"Geez..." Roxas tightened his grip on his pen, his face creasing at the memory of this morning's dance class. It had gone so much worse than even _he_ had expected. He thought he'd at least be able to keep up and mimic the moves... but...

He looked over at Namine giggling and gushing at Sora, and realised why he'd stuffed up so badly. When she looked up at him and encouraged him... he just got so nervous. He knew how much Namine loved dancing and didn't want to ruin her experience - which was why he stayed as far away from her as possible during class - but he just couldn't keep his thoughts together while he danced. He kept thinking about how he'd let her down if he screwed it up, and now he actually was! Why couldn't he think straight when she was beside him?

Namine was still chattering away to Sora, who was happily obliging, none the wiser. Roxas rolled his eyes. How could Sora be so oblivious? Namine was blushing, barely making eye contact, and swirling his hair between her fingers. She always twirled her hair when she got nervous, Roxas had noticed. He thought it was a cute trait, but not when Sora was the sole witness to it.

He swivelled in his chair to face behind, where Kairi was working between Hayner and Olette. "Kairi, would you kindly tell Sora to shut it so I can concentrate?"

Kairi looked up and giggled. "Come on, Sora, you lazy bum," She poked his back with her pen and he let out a peculiar and effeminate shriek before turning and laughing at her. They shared a smile and locked eyes for a moment before Sora turned back to his work.

Roxas saw the look on Namine's face and thought the very same thing. How was Namine so oblivious to Sora's feelings? You could see Sora and Kairi liked each other from a mile away... but he guessed Namine was so focused on her feelings that she didn't notice anyone else's. Especially not his.

x-x-x

At lunch time, Namine was particularly quiet. The gang were nestled in their usual spot, basking in the shade. Roxas and Olette were chatting, Hayner and Pence were currently enthralled in an arm wrestle, Selphie was entralled with her digital camera, most likely looking at the snaps she took for photography class, and Sora and Kairi were debating the finer points of planning a trip. She listened as Sora spoke animatedly about the trip they would all take when they graduated. He had always wanted to travel the world and experience everything there was out there. Namine often daydreamed about them going on a spontaneous road trip, or on a plane to an exotic tropical paradise. It would be simply perfect.

She would have joined in with the conversation, but she wordlessly ate her sandwich, debating. Should she tell someone she liked him? If she did, there'd be a chance it got out to the whole group - and if he didn't like her back, that would be so embarrassing! Hayner would tease her to no end. But if she didn't tell anyone, she couldn't ask for advice. She knew she was biased in her perspective of Sora's behaviour - she needed an outsider's opinion. Every smile, every laugh around he made around her made her believe that he could like her back... but she wanted advice on how to act around him to reinforce the flirting.

The next question would be _who_ to ask. The first person to spring into her mind was Kairi, of course. She was her best friend, and she was no stranger to crushes. He had handled Riku's crush on her gloriously well, and let him down gently, and nobody was more excited to meet boys at high school than she. Namine was actually surprised she'd said no to Riku at the time, and she hadn't been in a relationship at _all_ yet. But she would probably have some great advice for her, and she was such great friends with Sora that she had an inside track into his influence.

Then there was Roxas. Namine knew she could trust Roxas with anything. He wasn't like the other two goofballs - his personality was rich and quiet, and you had to draw it out of him, but when you did, you revealed a kind, funny and supportive guy beneath. He wasn't experienced in relationships either, but since year 7 a few girls had come to him to ask him out and he had also turned them down politely. Namine also had to wonder why Roxas had said no, but he'd always said they weren't the right girl for him. Even so, he had a pretty good hook on romantic endeavors, and had been forced to watch more chick flicks than his two compatriots. Maybe he would have some good advice? Besides, he was Sora's best friend. He could easily ask him about Namine for her and find out the exact answer.

Kairi and Roxas seemed to be the best candidates. Selphie would just flip out and come up with grandiose schemes for getting him to fall in love with her... grandiose, but over-the-top. Hayner would get all embarrassed and weird and edge out of the topic, being completely lame with girls. Pence would come up with a calculated plan, but he would probably talk Namine out of it, being the cautious guy he was. Olette was often pegged as 'one of the guys' growing up, but she hadn't had any relationship experience either, and was more supportive than she was informative. So, she had to choose between her two closest friends.

She looked from one to the other. Kairi was giggling and hitting Sora on the chest playfully. Those two were extremely close, which could be an advantage. Roxas was still talking to Olette, his warm smile giving the girl solace. He could get the answer directly from Sora, but was Namine ready for the answer...?

Namine swallowed loudly. She had to think about it some more. Sora wasn't just any old guy... he was amazing. She couldn't screw this up no matter what.

x-x-x

A week later, Roxas still had the same mortified expression on his face. He felt like it was only yesterday he'd made a fool of himself in front of the entire dance class. He gave a pleading look to Namine. "Please get me out of this somehow."

Namine shook her head and smiled. "You'll get better, you'll see. Dancing isn't easy, you know." She silently prayed to the gods of dance that he would improve drastically today.

"Yeah, I have a new-found respect for you guys..." He admitted, and Selphie flicked her hair proudly.

"You know it, bruh!" She giggled, imitating one of their favourite movies. "Got a lifetime of knowledge!"

Miss Lockhart stood in front of the class one again, with a rather crafty expression adorning her features. "Alright guys, we're doing the waltz today to demonstrate 3-4 timing. But first, we're sorting you into your dance partners for the end of year assessments!"

Namine's eyes widened. This was it. This was the moment she'd find out if she would get her toes squished by Roxas and fail her favourite class.

The entire class seemed to falter beneath the news and Miss Lockhart simply laughed. "Come on guys, you're all 15 now! Girls don't have cooties, I promise. Now, let's see..." She pulled out the sheet of paper with the list of partners. Namine's fate had already been decided and she didn't know it. "One of your prac exams will be with your dance partner. First pair is Marlene and Denzel."

Marlene, her hair tied up with a large pink bow, smiled over at the brunette boy.

"Serah and Neku."

 _There goes that_ , Namine thought helplessly.

"Selphie and Ventus."

"Yay!" The brunette clapped her hands together. Ven was an incredibly sweet boy who hung out with some older kids. He smiled at her.

"Namine and Roxas."

Namine's expression dropped like a lead weight. No. No. This couldn't be happening.

But it was. Roxas' expression matched hers and they caught each other's eye. They replaced the look of panic stricken shock with an awkward smile.

 _No, no, no! Oh, I knew this would happen! What am I gonna do!?_ Namine thought desperately, wondering if she could enroll Roxas in an extremely intensive dance camp for the year. She suddenly grew extremely frustrated. He didn't even _want_ to be here, and he clearly didn't want to put in the effort - she deserved so much better than this! Why should she suffer because Roxas was stupid enough to hand in his enrolment late!?

She caught his gaze again - she didn't realise she was scowling. He looked away quickly, but she saw his pained expression before he could hide it. She suddenly felt ashamed of herself. It wasn't his fault that he was here. Well, it kind of _was_... but he hadn't meant for this to happen. She knew she shouldn't blame him.

 _I have to be positive_ , She scolded herself as she stood, getting ready for the lesson as Miss Lockhart started the music. _I have to believe my own words. Roxas_ _ **will**_ _get better. And I have to help him get better. I will._

As the lesson went on, Namine's confidence plummeted as Roxas failed to grasp the idea of 3-4 timing. Selphie gave her a sympathetic look from across the classroom, and the blonde girl sighed. It was going to be a long year.

x-x-x

"You should've seen the look on her face..." Roxas sighed, venting to Sora in their sports class that afternoon. The guys and girls had been separate today, with girls doing netball and guys doing basketball. He could see Namine on the other side of the gym chatting with the girls, no doubt complaining about her completely inadequate new dance partner.

"I'm sorry," Sora consoled, missing Hayner doing a slam dunk and a mini victory dance. "I'm sure she's more upset over her grades than having to dance with you. You know how she gets with that stuff."

"Yeah..." Roxas picked at his shoes, feeling dejected. "But this is going to make things so much worse. Before I was clumsy because I was nervous about her, but at least I could stay away from her... now I have to dance _with_ her! This'll make me ten times more nervous than before."

Sora cocked his head and smiled. "Why don't you just think of it as a chance to get closer with her?"

Roxas scoffed. "Are you kidding? She's gonna hate me after dancing with me.

"Come on, you big dummy, dancing is like, the most romantic thing ever. If you get over your nervousness I'm sure you'll dance just fine, and Namine will fall head over heels for you."

Roxas kept his gaze on his shoes, but his lips quivered in thought. "I want to dance well with her... what kind of idiot boyfriend can't dance with his girl, right?"

"Exactly," Sora slapped his shoulder. "You'll get there. Just think, every week you get to hold her, and watch her dance... you should be in heaven! I wish I could dance with Kairi."

Roxas smiled genuinely. "I guess I never thought of it like that. Hey, won't you get to act with her anyway?"

It was Sora's turn to smile nervously now. "Well, I- I hope so. I mean, I'm auditioning for the main lead and she's auditioning for the main girl lead, so..."

Roxas shook his head. "Let's trade lives, man. Your way sounds much simpler." And less complicated, he though complacently.

x-x-x

"Namine!"

The girl in question turned as Roxas was running towards her. His drum sticks were once again poking out of his backpack and he wore an agitated expression.

 _He's still worrying about dance..._ Namine thought, thinking of their class starting in just half an hour. But Roxas spoke before she could give him any words of encouragement.

"I have some bad news..." He scratched his neck nervously, but Namine suddenly had a glimmer of hope. Maybe he had found a way to quit dance!? "Er, my drum teacher has changed their schedule, and, well, every second or third week I'll have to skip dance to take my drum lessons."

Namine stopped walking dead in her tracks, and Roxas' face turned white. This was even worse than him being her dance partner. Now he would get even less practice than expected! "But- you- are you serious!?"

He winced at every word. "I'm sorry... They said Miss Lockhart said it was okay, and my midyear drum exams are coming up..."

Namine sighed, too exhausted to even battle the hordes of bad dance-related news coming her way anymore. "It's okay..."

"No, it isn't," Roxas stopped her then, grabbing her shoulders, but quickly letting go, turning red. "I want to be a good dance partner for you, I do. I wanted to tell you that. I'll try harder. I promise."

Namine's eye bulged at his words, the genuine fire in his voice. She couldn't help but smile. "Roxas... you're so sweet. I know you will." He smiled at her then, fidgeting with the buttons on his shirt, and she suddenly got an idea. "Wait a minute, we live virtually next door! We can practice outside of school. What do you say?"

He looked taken aback at first, but quickly nodded. "It's a deal."

"Good," Namine felt the enthusiasm back in her voice. Roxas was trying so hard for her... she had to return the favour. "I won't go easy on you, so work hard!"

"Yes ma'am!" He nodded with vigour, and the two began the trek to school again.

Namine watched the drum sticks click together in his bag. Roxas sure had a lot going on... with his drum exams, and having to take extra dance lessons with her, she didn't think he'd have the energy to deal with her crush on Sora either.

Namine had decided. She was going to tell Kairi about her crush.


	6. Secrets revealed

Your reviews make me smile! Enjoy this chapter - where something very special is announced...

* * *

Namine huffed with her hands on her hips. She normally stood front and centre of the dance class, but today she was lagging back, feeling incredibly foolish. Everyone else was doing warm-ups and stretches with their dance partner, and right now her own partner was busy bashing a drumset. She sighed, doing the stretches anyway, and trying to memorise them so she could teach them to Roxas later.

She found she couldn't concentrate though, because when she thought about teaching him, she thought about what he'd said that morning.

 _I want to be a good dance partner for you, I do. I wanted to tell you that._

At the start of the year, Roxas had been distraught to dance, and as the weeks went on Namine knew he wasn't taking it seriously. But the way his voice quavered beneath the emotion of his words, the way he looked to the ground, and how his posture stiffened... it just touched Namine to her very core. He was willing to try hard, to take extra lessons, and to do something that didn't come naturally to him, for _her_. Not for any other reason but to try and make her happy and achieve her dream of a perfect dance grade. She wondered where Roxas had plucked that kind of strength, and marveled at how much he valued their friendship. She really was lucky to have a friend like him.

And that was all the more reason why she should go easy on him from now on. No more complaining - she and Roxas were in this together. And while Roxas was busy in all areas of his life, she knew he didn't have time for her silly match-making schemes. She grew nervous then, thinking about how she'd tell Kairi that she liked Sora. She couldn't wait to hear her auburn-haired friends ideas to get Sora to like her back. She was sure Kairi could help. Though she was nervous, she felt it was time to share her secret.

Namine smiled to herself. Things were finally looking up.

x-x-x

Kairi stepped out of the drama classroom, tugging on the sleeves of her school jumper. The days were slowly getting milder and the winds were getting cooler; Summer was over, and Autumn was slinking in.

"You can't be cold already, Kai?" Sora chuckled as he left the classroom, a script in hand. "Summer only _just_ ended."

"It's windy today!" She whimpered, and as she said it the breeze picked up and almost lifted her skirt. She quickly tugged it down in embarrassment and giggled lightly.

"If you're this cold now, imagine what you'll be like in winter," Sora teased, not even getting any goosebumps on his bare skin from the wind. Kairi shook her head and marveled at how boys could never feel the cold.

"Winter at school is always horrible because the buildings create wind tunnels. And the school jumper is _definitely_ not thick enough," She sighed as they headed towards their lockers.

Sora nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we're definitely summer kids."

Kairi lifted her eyes up in thought. "That's not to say I don't like winter though! At home, snuggling in a blanket. Winter's the best time for hot chocolate, and sitting by the fire, and cuddling with -" She stopped quickly, cheeks turning red, "Well, just cuddling in general."

"Who do you wanna cuddle with?" Sora teased in sing-song then, a lopsided grin to match, and Kairi smacked him on the shoulder.

"N-No one! Besides, there'll be no time for that this year. We have to work on our play."

Brunette locks falling into his eyes, Sora nodded with vigour, a warm smile appearing. "Yeah. Since we're the leads, we gotta work hard!"

Kairi stammered as she opened her locker. "You'll be great, Sora. You're perfect for the role."

"Hey, so are you!" Sora assured, placing a hand on the red-head's shoulder. "We make a great team, you and me."

Kairi smiled, locking eyes with the blue-eyed boy, and felt the breath hitch in her throat. "Yeah, we do."

They shared a silent, calculated moment, before Sora broke it away and grabbed his lunch. "Come on, let's go meet up with the others."

"Okay," Kairi perked up to her usual self, but still felt the flutter of nerves from his stare.

x-x-x

"Tidus! Wakka!" Mr. Caelum shouted, hushing the boys who were hooting with laughter at the back of the classroom. Tidus had an especially awkward and loud laugh, and it had disrupted the entire class from having the roll marked.

"Now that everyone is accounted for," The stark-haired teacher sighed, eyeing off the two boys, "We can start the class today with some very big news."

The class hushed then, wondering what the big surprise was. Selphie and Kairi looked especially excited, Selphie flapping her arms to shush the boys.

Miss Gainsborough smiled with delight at the excitement in her students. "As you all know, the new year 9 program has lots of exciting changes, such as larger class sizes and two teachers. But the best new addition of all is the new learning program each class will undergo. Before I reveal it, though, I want a show of hands as to who has ever been to Twilight City?"

Immediately, most of the class put their hands up. Twilight City was the heart of the town, but it was about an hour away from the Destiny Islands area. Hayner, Pence and Olette all raised their hands, having been born and raised in the city. The three of them had grown up together before their families moved to a more quaint location. Namine too raised her hand. She had been lucky enough to have gone to the city when she was nine to see the Twilight City Ballet perform. She still smiled at the memory and had even kept her ticket. Of course, most of the class had also been to the city because the year 7 camp was a week-long city excursion. Roxas remembered rooming with Sora and sneaking down the hotel hall to scare the girls.

"Excellent, almost all of you!" She smiled, her large pink bow fluttering as she nodded with excitement. "My next question for you is... if there was anything you could change about the city, what would it be?"

The students looked from one to another, unsure if they should answer, and Miss Gainsborough smiled.

"That's the purpose of our new year 9 assignment, called 'City Centre'! You guys will be getting into groups and coming up with a hypothesis to test. For example, you could choose the hypothesis, "There are too many fast food locations in the city". Then, within your group you will aim to prove or disprove that hypothesis."

"She lost me on hypothesis," Hayner whispered to the others, and the group snickered.

"How are you going to do this? Well, for a week, the entire class will be travelling to the city to conduct their research. The first way we'll be doing this is by public surveys. You'll come up with a survey about your hypothesis, and having 100 members of the public answer them."

"Oh no..." Namine slouched in her seat. She hated talking to strangers and always stumbled on her words.

"The next step in proving your hypothesis is to conduct interviews with professionals. For the example of the fast food chains, I would try and get in contact with a fast food manager, a health food expert, or anyone else I thought would have a valid input."

"Even worse..." Namine covered her face, and Kairi patted her on the back.

"You can also conduct your own studies if you wish. For example, you could count the amount of people that go into a Burger Shack compared to a Wholefoods outlet! At the end of the week, you'll gather your information and present your findings to the class. But don't worry, City Centre isn't all about this hypothesis. We'll also have lots of daily activities and fun things to do to explore the city and learn more about the Twilight district."

"Yes!" Sora said in a hushed whispered, doing a mini fist-pump. Everyone agreed; a fun week in the city with an assignment did sound a lot better than classroom learning.

"We'll be doing a fitness class, checking out the markets, partaking in a scavenger hunt..."

"Aw, a scavenger hunt!" Hayner perked up then, thus far having zoned out at the prospect of doing work. "We have to beat Seifer!"

"Easy," Roxas agreed, and the two boys bumped fists.

"... We'll be going to the radio station, the sports centre, and we'll be seeing a show!" Miss Gainsborough clapped her hands together, clearly excited. Namine wouldn't have been surprised if she had come up with the whole City Centre idea. "Any questions?"

"How big are the group sizes?" Tidus asked quickly, excitement in his voice.

"We'll be limiting the group numbers from a minimum of three to a maximum of six."

"No!" The girls hissed. Combining their group, there were eight people. They would have to do some splitting up.

"When will this week be happening?" Vanille asked from the other side of the room.

"9 Yen Sid will be the third class to go, so we'll be going towards the end of term 2."

"It's gonna be cold..." Kairi sighed, already feeling chilly at the thought.

"How are we getting there? Do we stay overnight?" Garnet asked, a quaver to her voice.

"No, we'll be catching the train every morning and coming back every afternoon," Mr. Caelum answered, "So be sure to grab your train tickets in advance to avoid being late. We'll be leaving pretty early."

The boys immediately sighed at the prospect of early mornings, but they were no stranger to the trains. Namine shifted though; she got terrible travel sickness.

"Alright, let's begin by forming our groups and coming up with our hypothesis! There'll be no two the same, okay?" The brunette teacher warned, and people started to stand up and walk around, forming their groups.

"What should we do?" Pence asked, and everyone shifted to face inwards. "Wanna split up into groups of four?"

Before anyone would answer, Tidus and Wakka had sauntered over to their seats, looking excited.

"Hey guys! Wanna form a group?" Tidus asked, looking pointedly at Selphie. The girl rolled her eyes; she had grown up with these boys and although she loved them, they could be a bit much to handle sometimes. "Hey, I saw that, Selph!"

"I'm kidding, you guys are swell," She teased, and Tidus made a move to mess up her hair. "Hey!"

"How about two groups of five, then?" Roxas offered, and the group nodded in agreement.

"We bags Selphie, ya?" Wakka laughed, and Selphie wailed in feigned disappointment.

"I'll go with you guys, too," Hayner nodded, and Pence quickly followed suite with a "Me too!". Olette's face immediately fell, but nobody noticed amidst Selphie's despondent outburst.

"What!? I can't be the _only_ girl on our team!" The brunette's hair bounced as she complained. "Someone switch with this bonehead over here!"

"Rude," Hayner poked his tongue out at the girl. Beside her, Olette was seemingly battling for a sentence to form.

"Um, I can swap with someone if you like, I don't mind..."

"My saviour!" Selphie hugged Olette around the neck, almost choking the poor girl. "You've been booted, Hayner."

"W-Well, it doesn't have to be Hayner," Olette could practically feel the sweatdrops forming. Roxas gave her a quizzical look.

"You mean you _want_ to be in a group with that goober?" Selphie teased.

"Unlike you, Olette's a _good_ friend," Hayner snapped back, and the group fell into laughter. "Whatever, I don't mind. You can have Olette. I see how it is."

"Thanks, Hayner!" Selphie beamed, but Olette only looked mildly pleased. Roxas guessed to himself that her plan had backfired.

"Alright, so it's me, Wakka, Selphie, Olette and Pence!" Tidus announced, and ushered them over to his table. "C'mon, guys!"

"Bye, you guys!" Selphie waved, and she dragged Olette over, with a worried Pence behind them.

"Do you think they'll get _any_ work done?" Hayner sighed, and the others chuckled.

"I'm just worried about the girls. They're gonna have to carry those boys to a good score," Kairi shook her head, seeing Tidus and Wakka talk animatedly to the group. "At least the boys have good leadership skills behind them."

"Anyway, what do you guys think our question should be?" Sora asked.

Namine giggled. "Sora, a hypothesis isn't a question, silly, it's a theory to be tested!"

Sora scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Right. Science was never my forte, heh..."

"Twilight City is pretty awesome as it is," Roxas thought out loud. "Although there could be more skate parks..."

"Yeah!" Sora shouted in agreement, but the girls both shook their heads and he deflated.

"There's plenty of skate parks. Hmm..." Kairi pondered, "How about, there aren't enough gardens?"

"I dunno, that sounds kinda boring..." Roxas said, and Kairi glared at him. "I'm not calling _you_ boring!"

"Ooh, how about there aren't enough childcare centres?" Namine offered, and while Kairi agreed, the three boys cringed. "Or not..."

"It's good, but it'd be kinda boring talking to childcare owners, y'know?" Hayner explained. "I wanna talk to someone cool, like a firefighter or a police officer!"

"Hey, that's a good one!" Kairi sat up in her seat. "We could say there aren't enough police in Twilight City!"

"Hey, yeah!" Sora nodded, "We could go to the police station for our interviews!"

"Cities are prime spots for crime, though I don't think Twilight city gets much of it," Roxas thought out loud, then added in a whisper, "it's probably all by Seifer!" The group giggled under their breath.

The group had decided on their topic. Tidus' group had gone with the teacher's fast food idea, and soon every group had their own idea to explore. The remaining time in class was spent brainstorming people to contact and questions for the public survery. Soon it was the end of the day, and the class clambered out, eagerly looking forward to their adventure in the city. They split ways to their lockers, but Namine, quickly plucking up some courage and last-minute decision-making, tapped on Kairi's shoulder, lagging behind the others.

"Kairi, can I ask you something about Sora later?"

Kairi stiffened, wondering if Namine could somehow read her thoughts. "Um, sure Nami. No problem."

"Thanks Kai," She smiled and waved, bounding towards her locker. Kairi sucked in a breath. Did Namine know about her crush? Was she going to confront her? Well, Namine _was_ her best friend and could probably read her like a book. She smiled, wondering if Namine might have some advice for her.

Roxas headed towards Namine's locker, planning to walk home with her, but Sora quickly yanked on his shirt and pulled him out of sight. "Woah! Sora, what are you doing!?"

"Roxas, this is perfect!" Sora exclaimed, ignoring the fact he had nearly choked his best friend. "I can ask Kairi out during City Centre! We could split off to do interviews or surveys or whatever, and have a romantic lunch in the park, and then I'll tell her!"

Roxas looked stunned. A million thoughts ran through his head, but the biggest one of all rang through his mind repeatedly; he only had a few weeks to stop Sora from hurting Namine's feelings. All of a sudden, he now had a deadline. But he pushed this thought to the back of his mind, focusing on being happy for Sora. "That's... actually a brilliant idea, Sora. I wouldn't have thought of that."

"And that's why you're getting nowhere with Nami- mmph!" Roxas covered the spiky-haired boys' mouth.

"Shut up! Do you want the whole world to find out?"

Sora chuckled softly. "Sorry. But yeah - thanks! I can't wait! But don't tell Hayner, okay? I mean, you're the only person who knows about this... in case I screw it up or something."

Roxas softened. "You won't screw it up. You and Kairi are meant to be together."

They shared a warm exchange, and Sora patted Roxas on the back. "Thanks, man. I can't wait!"

x-x-x

"Okay Roxas, let's try that part again one more time."

Namine hopped over to the couch where she'd left her iPod, restarting the music. She moved back into position next to Roxas, and a catchy pop song burst to life once again. On the wooden flooring of Namine's rumpus room, she and Roxas repeated the short routine they'd learnt in dance. The blonde in question was rosy cheeked and flushed, small beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he worked to keep up with Namine. After practicing for an hour, he had memorised the piece, and Namine was pleasantly surprised.

Roxas had thought a lot about Sora's words, and decided to try and relax. Instead of worrying about embarrassing himself, he focused on the fact that he got to spend one-on-one time with Namine. Between dancing, they talked and laughed like normal, and when they danced, he could admire the way she moved so gracefully and easily with the music. He had stumbled a few times, if only because he was lost in the sight of her dancing to remember to dance himself.

She ran back to stop the music and panted lightly. "Good! That was so good, Roxas! You've improved so much in only an hour."

He beamed at her praise and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "If I did, it must have been because of you."

"No, it's because you made the effort," She pressed, not wanting him to take his hard work lightly. She still couldn't believe he'd said yes to the extra lessons, but she was finally confident that they could pull this off. "Okay, now that you've got the moves memorised, it's time to work on your form."

"My form?" He asked, a hint of worry in his tone.

"You can't just repeat the moves. You have to immerse yourself in the music, and make an emotional connection with the dance."

Roxas looked doubtful. "I dunno if I can make an emotional connection with The Black Eyed Peas."

Namine shook her head. "You'll get what I mean when you dance more. Dancing isn't just about exercising, it's about telling a story. Let's try it again."

After a few more run-throughs of the dance, Namine told Roxas to perform the piece alone while she watched. He looked incredibly ashen at the prospect, but just as he was about to make a number of excuses, Namine saw the clock and gasped.

"Oh - I'm sorry! I'm hanging out at Kairi's this afternoon. I didn't mean for the lesson to go so long." She looked apologetically at Roxas, who shook his head.

"I had fun. Same time next week?"

Namine nodded. "Great job today. Now work hard on those drums, okay?"

"Yeah," Roxas nodded, feeling all at once proud and elated. When they were together, just the two of them, she never mentioned Sora. He hoped this was a good sign that she could forget about him.

x-x-x

Kairi's deep auburn hair fell into her eyes as she leaned down to grab a stack of dvd's from the cabinet. She had a stockpile of classic chick flicks that the girls watched during sleepovers and girly catch-ups, especially over the summer. She popped the stack on the coffee table, along with some snacks and blankets. She and Namine had had this routine since they were little girls. Suddenly, the scent of brownies wafted through the air and Kairi smiled, stepping into the kitchen.

"Grandma, you didn't have to bake!" She advised, but smiled anyway. Her grandma was known to spoil her friends profusely when they came over. When she held a Christmas party last year, her grandma had cooked an entire roast dinner for their little troupe.

"Nonsense, Namine hasn't been over in a while!" Her grandma placed the piping hot brownies on a cooling rack. "You've all been so busy with this school year."

Kairi had to agree. "Yeah, year 9 has been full of surprises so far. Sora and I got the lead in the production, then there's city centre..."

"My, you're all growing up too fast," The greying woman chuckled, poking a skewer into one of the brownies. "Ah, perfect!"

The doorbell rang suddenly, and Kairi's eyes lit up in excitement. "She's here!"

She rushed to the door to welcome the blonde in. After a welcoming hug from both Kairi and her grandma, Namine made herself comfortable on the couch while Kairi brought in the brownies.

"Fresh from the oven!" She carefully placed them between the stack of dvd's and her script for the production. Her heart gave a little jolt when she saw it; anything that reminded her of the fact she was leading with Sora made her heart thump with excitement and nervousness.

"I missed your grandma's cooking," Namine immediately took one. They were oozing with chocolately goodness, and she melted into the flavour. "Mmm! So good!"

"School's been so busy since swimming sports. We'll have to organise another sleepover soon," Kairi agreed, sitting next to the blonde and flicking through the movies.

"Yeah, before city centre starts," Namine added, her eyes daring over to the script. "Wow, you have to memorise all that?"

"Hm?" Kairi looked over to the script too. "Oh yeah, it's fairly long, but we've got a whole year to learn it."

"You and Sora are gonna look great up there," Namine smiled, though there was a hint of wistfulness in her voice. She wished she had the confidence to act, then maybe she'd be the one leading alongside him.

Kairi smiled bashfully. "I hope so. We're working hard." She paused then, debating, looking up at her childhood best friend. She hadn't mentioned anything else about Sora yet, so maybe she needed an incentive. She couldn't wait to finally tell someone about her crush. "Say, speaking of Sora..."

Namine perked up, and Kairi listened intently. "Oh, yes, speaking of Sora... there's something I wanted to ask you."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Um... well... the thing is, I..."

 _I know you like Sora_ , Kairi was expecting, and she very nearly almost blurted out, "I do. I like Sora," but she barely got through the first syllable before Namine spoke.

"I like Sora. Like, I _really_ like him."

Kairi froze.

In all of a split two seconds, Kairi went through a dizzying array of emotions. Shock. Disbelief. Jealousy. How had she not seen it coming? How had she not noticed her best friend had a crush on _her_ crush!? This could not be happening. But in that two seconds, she also saw the love in Namine's eyes, the worry, the hope that Kairi would help her, and the excitement of voicing her feelings. She couldn't let her down... not Namine. Not her favourite person in the whole world... next to Sora.

In those two seconds, she made her decision. A decision she would most definitely regret.

"Really? I had no idea," She stammered, heart hammering in her chest. "That's great, Nam."

She didn't know why she was lying. She didn't want to hurt Namine's feelings, and she didn't feel it was her place to tell her. She'd had a chance to tell her, and she didn't. Why should Namine suffer because of her secret?

... But what about her own feelings?

Namine smiled. "Hehe, well... um, since you're so much better with guys than me, I was hoping you could give me some advice. I want to get closer to Sora without telling him I like him."

Kairi nodded slowly, wishing she could go back in time and beat Namine to the punch. What would Namine have said if she told her secret first? Would she keep it a secret? Her head was swimming and she felt dizzy and sick. "Of course I'll help you, Nami. That's what best friends are for."

Namine leaned forward and hugged her tight. "You're the best, Kai. I'm just, ah, he's so great and I want to be around him all the time." She pulled back and blushed profusely. "Every time I think about him, I get butterflies... I hope he feels the same way."

Kairi forced the best smile she could muster. "Sora would be so lucky to have a girl like you."

The rest of the afternoon was filled with brownie eating, movie watching and discussing ways to flirt with Sora. And for the entire afternoon, Kairi wondered if sacrificing her feelings for Namine's sake was the right decision at all. Wouldn't someone get hurt in the end? She couldn't fathom the outcome. Right now, she just wanted to be a good friend.


	7. Muddled Thoughts

"Let's see, I need to know minim, crotchet, quaver, semi-quaver... I need to know timestep, the origins of jazz, some tap theory... There was also something else... Oh, some ballet terms..."

Namine was currently mumbling copious amounts of dance terms to herself, covering her notes and reciting definitions perfectly. She was so lost in her work she didn't realise she was talking out loud, in the middle of math class. When Mr. Highwind came strolling past she had the right of mind to switch to her trigonometry notes, but then it was right back to dance theory.

Hayner was looking at her dubiously and elbowed Roxas lightly. "Er... is she okay? She looks like she's losing it..."

Roxas didn't even look up from his equations, shaking his head. "We've got a theory test for dance next period. She _has_ to get 100%."

"Right," Hayner nodded, bemused. "Wait, don't you need to know that stuff, too?"

Roxas smiled knowingly. "Namine's been repeating her notes so much I know it off by heart."

Hayner chuckled, his face contorting in amusement. "Geez, she's kinda crazy about this-"

"Shh!" Namine suddenly hushed, brows furrowing but eyes not leaving her dance notebook. Hayner pulled a mock guilty face and waggled his finger in a "she's crazy!" motion, but said no more.

Roxas had to admire how passionate Namine was. For the last week she'd been studying nonstop, and during their private lesson she'd drilled the theory into his brain and quizzed him every free moment. He was positive she knew every skerrick of her notes, but she had a habit of letting her nerves get the better of her when the pressure got too high. She'd told Roxas herself the best dance exam she ever did was when she was late and had to enter the exam room straight away - there was no time for worry or second-guessing, she just went in and did her thing. He wished she wouldn't worry so much. It would be horrible if her grades suffered just because of her nerves.

Speaking of nerves, it had been a week since City Centre was revealed and Roxas was a nervous wreck. What could he possibly do? He couldn't tell Sora to postpone his perfect plans. He couldn't tell Namine to stop liking Sora. But if he didn't do anything, he'd feel guilty for not protecting Namine. He sighed, gripping his pencil hard. Why couldn't she see that Sora didn't have eyes for her? Why couldn't she see that... that _he_ liked her?

His string of thoughts was interrupted by a loud bang. Across the room, Zidane and Blank had been interrupted from their animated - and loud - tousle by Mr. Highwind slamming his fists on the bench.

"Sit down and do your god damn EQUATIONS!"

The blonde and red headed brothers quickly sat down, though not without a snigger, and Roxas reminded himself not to worry so much for now. City Centre was still a few weeks away, which also meant a few more private dance lessons...

x-x-x

After school, Sora was hanging out at Roxas' place. The boys were camped out in the blonde's room, chatting and playing handheld games and going on the computer. Roxas was currently deep in a Mario Kart race while Sora was perusing google.

"Do you think I should shout Kairi lunch on the day?" The brunette boy asked, looking through different food locations near Radiant Garden, the place he planned on taking her. It was a beautiful garden in the middle of the city, with lots of trees, flowers and grassy areas perfect for picnics. "What if she brings her own lunch?"

"You can just ask her if she brought money for lunch," Roxas mumbled, concentrating on keeping his first place.

"I guess... what should we eat? It can't be anything too smelly..."

Roxas smiled as he crossed the victory line, then grimaced at Sora's comment. "Smelly, Sora?"

"Well, I don't wanna have garlic breath for my first kiss!" His face fell at the prospect of ruining his perfect date.

Roxas put his DS down, staring up at his best friend. "You're gonna kiss her?"

Sora looked suddenly bashful. "W-Well, I hope I get to kiss her... and I don't want bad breath when that happens. I'll make sure to bring mints..."

Eyes wide with shock, Roxas realised just how serious Sora was about his surprise date for Kairi. It seemed to be all he could think about these days... he really wanted to make it perfect. He felt a strong sense of awe for his friend, and wistful regret that he couldn't harbour that same sort of passion for Namine in the situation they were in. Boy, if he could have a date with Namine, the things he would plan...

"Have you had your first kiss yet, Roxas?"

The sudden question threw Roxas off-guard and he stumbled on his words. "W-What!? Well, um, not exactly, no..."

Sora looked mildly displeased. "I just don't wanna screw it up... what if we clunk teeth or something? What if I'm really awkward?"

"Sora, come on, this is embarrassing..." Roxas rolled his eyes. "Look, if you really like each other, it'll just happen naturally. Worrying will only make it worse."

The spiky-haired boy sighed. "I guess you're right... I just wish I could have some practice first, but I want Kairi to be my first kiss."

"You should ask Selphie," Roxas blurted before he could stop himself, and Sora swivelled in his chair, looking confused.

"Huh? Why? Selphie hasn't kissed anyone yet, has she?"

"Er... you didn't hear this from me," Roxas said quickly, "But at Axel's party last year I saw her kissing Wakka for practice."

"WAKKA!?" Sora almost fell of his seat, and Roxas hushed him quickly, but it did nothing to qualm his reaction. "WAKKA!?"

"She made me swear I wouldn't tell, but she told Wakka if he kissed her for practice then she'd do his math test for him."

Sora started laughing heartily. "I can't believe that! Selphie and Wakka!? Oh, this is gold..."

"Yeah, this was back when Selphie had a huge crush on Terra. Since he was older she wanted to know what she was doing."

"Oh Selphie, Selphie..." Sora shook his head. "I won't tell anyone, but oh man... that is too funny."

"Yeah," Roxas chuckled, remembering the blush on Selphie's face when he caught them. "To be honest, I wouldn't want my first kiss to be practice. I'd want it to be real, y'know?"

Sora looked up at the blonde dubiously. "I'm surprised you and Namine aren't dating yet. All those private dance lessons you do..."

Roxas looked bashful suddenly and shook his head. "Yeah, well... I don't think she likes me in that way."

"Aw, you don't know that, Roxas," Sora smiled, "I thought the same thing about Kairi. You just gotta follow your instincts, like you said. Don't forget your own advice."

"My own advice, huh..." _Oh Sora_ , Roxas thought, _if you only knew the tangled web you were a part of, you'd know why me and Namine can't be together._

x-x-x

"Excellent job, you guys!" Miss Lockhart called out to the drama class. "You all remembered your lines wonderfully. Keep up the hard work, because next week I'm going to record you so you can watch it back and see how you can improve!"

The class made a collective groan, and Kairi stood with hands on hips, feeling chuffed. She'd rehearsed without her script all lesson and Sora had too, so they were able to play off of each other's performance for the first time. There were several times she hesitated on her line, though, because she was so lost in Sora's expressions and speech.

"Amazing, Kairi," Sora smiled, giving the girl a pat on the shoulder. She smiled under his fleeting touch.

"Thanks, Sora. You were amazing too. You make a great basketball guy," She teased lightly, and Sora thumped his chest proudly.

"I'm the star player! Just gotta learn to keep my head in the game," He joked, and they chuckled as they went to grab their books from the back of the classroom. "You make a grade-A academic, too. I didn't know you could sing."

"Oh, I can't, really..." Kairi felt her cheeks warming up, "But I'm happy to have a singing role."

"I'm not," Sora sighed, "It's like the equivalent of Roxas dancing. I hope I get better."

"You sound just fine, Sora."

"Well, lucky for me it's a duet, so everyone will be too busy listening to your beautiful voice."

Kairi tried to fight the feeling of butterflies fluttering in her stomach at his compliment. Even worse was the intoxicating smile he was wearing. "You're so funny, Sora. Let's go meet up with the others."

"Alright... but you know if you want some extra practice I'm happy to stay here with you during lunch times."

Kairi was about to immediately approve of this idea - a wonderful excuse to spend more time with him - but Namine suddenly flashed in her mind and she felt guilty. She couldn't try to get closer to Sora when she knew Namine had a crush on him. That wouldn't be fair... would it?

Kairi's head still couldn't wrap around the sitation she was in.

"Um... that'd be great, but maybe closer to the festival. We've still got heaps of time."

She saw the distinct disappointment in Soras eyes and once again felt that tingling in the pit of her belly. The one that told her these signals Sora was sending were clear... but she was muddled with thoughts of Namine and couldn't piece anything together anymore. Why couldn't things be more simple...?

x-x-x

Out on the courts, the gang were chatting and eating their lunch in the usual spot, the leaves on the tree slowly turning a russet hue. Kids screamed on the oval as a cricket match was going on, but the troupe were enjoying a lazy day today.

Well, most of the troupe. Kairi looked queasy beyond measure and several people had made perceptive comments about her pale complection. She'd waved them all off, but when she rose to put her rubbish in the bin, Roxas followed suite.

"Kairi, do you want to go home?" The blonde asked tentatively, touching her shoulder.

She smiled thankfully. Roxas was like a big brother to her and was always looking out for her. She dropped her rubbish in the bin and turned back to him. "I'm fine..."

"You're not fine," Roxas shook his head. "Seriously, what's wrong?"

Kairi sighed deeply, clutching at her belly and looking back towards the group, pointedly at Namine and Sora. As she stood her with Roxas, Namine was edging closer to the brunette, and he was happily conversing with her.

"Roxas... I think I did something stupid." Kairi finally admitted, looking up at the blonde. She knew she could trust Roxas, and as much as she didn't want to spread word of her crush, she had to vent her feelings out somehow, and her only confidante was not an option. "Nobody else knows this, so please don't say anything..."

"What happened?" Roxas asked tentatively, and Kairi guided the two further away from the usual spot, and out of sight. They stood on the corner of the senior's building, and Kairi could see Terra and Aqua conversing inside.

"Um... Okay, here goes nothing... I like Sora," She blurted out, and Roxas' eyes widened, "a lot. And I was going to tell Namine, but then she told me SHE liked Sora. And I pretended like it was a good thing and I didn't tell her I liked him too and now I'm kinda just in this awful situation."

Roxas softened. Namine had finally told someone about her crush. He was mildly disappointed she hadn't told him, but he knew the best friend would and should take precedence. "I know. That Namine likes Sora, that is."

"You knew? Did she tell you?" Kairi asked hurriedly. She was looking for any way out of this mess.

"Er, no, but it's kind of obvious."

"Really..."

Kairi suddenly felt ashamed. How had she not seen it too? Though she was wrapped up in her own feelings, of course... This whole situation was so confusing.

"So she doesn't know you like Sora?" Roxas asked again, and Kairi nodded solemly. "Wow, that's... oh, god..."

Roxas's head was absolutely spinning. Namine was doomed. Sora and Kairi both liked each other, even if each respective person didn't know it. Namine was going to get her heart broken if her mind wasn't changed quickly. And even worse, she could lose her best friend over it all.

Roxas knew what he had to do.

"Kairi, I need your help." Roxas looked into her eyes, sounding pleading without meaning to. "I need you to help me stop Namine from liking Sora... because... because I like Namine."

x-x-x

Ooh, Roxas let the cat out of the bag! How will Kairi react? What will happen next? Stay tuned!


	8. Roxas and Kairi

Thank you lemontae for the lovely reviews! You're a peach! Hope you enjoy this chap!

x-x-x

 _"Kairi, I need your help." Roxas looked into her eyes, sounding pleading without meaning to. "I need you to help me stop Namine from liking Sora... because... because I like Namine."_

x-x-x

For a moment, Kairi thought Roxas might be kidding. She pulled several different faces of confusion and wary smiles before she saw how serious his expression was. His eyes were filled with unwavering determination, a fire she had never seen before in the blonde.

"You like Namine?" Kairi finally said, slowly, drawing out the syllables to make sure she was getting everything straight. "But... you guys are so close. Like, best friends."

"That's just scratching the surface of how complicated this is," Roxas sighed, ruffling his hair. "I've liked Namine since we first met... ever since she yelled at me for playing my drums too loud."

Kairi would have chortled, but the news had still completely shocked her. Roxas and Namine had been inseperable since year 7, but she always thought it was purely platonic - like the brother-sister relationship _she_ had with Roxas, and with Hayner and Pence. "All that time..."

"I mean, it was just a crush at first," Roxas continued, bashful, but Kairi could tell Roxas had been bottling this up for a long time, and finally telling someone was a weight off his shoulders. "But when we got closer, I knew. She's my best friend... but I wanna be with her. I think I..."

But he dared not say it, and he looked away in embarrassment, but Kairi saved him from his inner torment when she asked, "Wait a minute, does Sora know you like Nam?"

Roxas froze. He had to be extremely careful about what he told Kairi about Sora. He would never consider telling her he liked her - that was for Sora and Sora only to reveal. "Er, I mean, he figured it out. He's always asking why I don't ask her out, but..."

"It's because she likes Sora." Kairi nodded. The pieces were slowly falling together. "Roxas... Do you know... Does Sora like anyone? Does he know about Namine?"

For once, Roxas feigned ignorance well, for the sake of everyone involved. "He hasn't told me he likes anyone. But I know he doesn't have a clue that Nam likes him. You know how clueless he is."

"So clueless..." Kairi sighed, but Roxas could see the wistful longing in her eyes for said boy. "What a mess... this is like some weird love square. Everyone likes someone... except stupid Sora."

"Except stupid Sora," Roxas chuckled, his heart hammering from the deceit. "Well, and the other impartial members of the group."

Kairi shook her head in disbelief. "When we were all in year 7, I never ever would have guessed that our group would get so complicated. We were all just friends back then. But now..."

"Guess that's the problem with guys and girls hanging out. When you're that close to someone, feelings can get mixed up. That's what I'm hoping is the deal with Namine. Maybe she's just confusing friendship with liking Sora."

"Do you really think so? I've been watching her lately, and she seems pretty madly in love with him..." The redhead crossed her arms despite herself, feeling decidedly torn.

Roxas cringed. "C'mon, Kairi. We're Namine's closest friends. We need to protect her. Do you really wanna lose your best friend over a crush?"

Kairi dropped her arms, softening. "Of course not. Namie and I will always be best friends."

"Right then. I'm not saying we can change how she feels..." Roxas treaded carefully, "but maybe we can help her... see the light? That Sora isn't that suitable for her, and what she's looking for is, y'know... right beside her?" He tried, but Kairi sniggered.

"Did you pull that from a chick flick?" She teased, whacking Roxas on the shoulder, and just as she did the gang came around the corner, heading for the year 9 building. The two hadn't even realised the bell had rung.

"Where did you two sneak off to?" Olette asked, and the escapees quickly looked awkward, hunting for a valid reason.

Selphie looked positively devious. "Ooh, do you two like each other!?"

Roxas' eye twitched. Selphie was absolutely too obsessed with romance. "No! We were just talking."

"Roxas is totally too icky to date," Kairi giggled, and Roxas gave her a look. Everyone walked back to the classrooms together, but the tension was definitely palpable. On the way, Roxas shared a glance with Kairi and she nodded back to him - she was in. Maybe together, they could help Namine get over Sora.

x-x-x

Plans for City Centre were getting well underway. Each team had handed in their sample surveys for the public, had at least one interview lined up, and had started research on their hypothesis. Tidus and Wakka were eager to try and get some fast food sampling into their week, but Mr. Caelum had told them it lent no support to their research. Roxas had caught Olette looking wistfully at their group many times during team meet-ups in class. He had a sneaking suspicion as to why she wasn't to pleased to be in Tidus' group.

During class on a particularly warm Autumn day, Miss Gainsborough handed out the schedule for the week, which Sora was very keen to look at. He still had to decide which day would be his dream date with Kairi. He thought Friday would be best, considering it would end their week together on a high. He saw happily that there was free time for lunch that day, and eagerly elbowed Roxas to silently tell him. Roxas nodded, smiling, but he glanced over at Kairi with concern.

So far, neither of them had been able to convince Namine she didn't like Sora. To be fair, they hadn't really tried - their attempts were subtle and careful so as not to hurt Namine or deceit her. Roxas had tried to play down Sora during their private dance lessons, but Namine only saw the good in him (and there wasn't a lot to pick about Sora to begin with). Whenever Namine asked Kairi advice, she tried to convince her that Nam was misunderstanding his social cues, but she took everything he did as little signs that he might like her back. Nothing was working. City Centre was very close now and they were running out of options.

After class, Roxas met Kairi at her locker and they spoke in hushed whispers about what to do.

"She's completely head over heels," Kairi sighed. "What can we do?"

"I don't know..." Roxas focused on Kairi's lock, wishing he could tell her that Sora already had his eye on someone. It would make this whole thing so much simpler... and less painful for Kairi."

"It sucks, Roxas. I have to watch her try and flirt with the person who might be the one I'm meant to be with! And even worse, he might be falling for it."

Roxas hesitated. "I'm not so sure he-"

"Hey, you guys!" Hayner called out, the rest of the gang waving them over. They approached the pair with vigour. "Let's head to the usual spot."

Selphie put her hands on her hips and leaned in close to Kairi. "Are you guys _sure_ there's nothing going on between you two? You've been spending a LOT of time together lately."

Kairi rolled her eyes. "Please, Selphie. We know you're just making sure nobody gets together so you can be the first of the group to get a boyfriend."

The brunette poked her tongue out in jest. "Come on, the school could use a cute new couple! Terra and Aqua have been going out for aaages."

"Alright, enough of this lovey dovey crap," Hayner wailed, making gross faces. "Let's get something to eat!"

x-x-x

With term 2 well underway, Roxas was finally getting used to dance class. He actually did quite enjoy the hip hop lessons, and the warm-ups were quite to his liking too. Jazz and ballet were a disaster, but luckily only lasted a few weeks. He wondered what today had in store as he watched Namine and Selphie stretching before class.

"Okay guys! Exciting news!" Miss Lockhart entered the room quickly, a stack of cd's in hand. "We're gonna start choreography for the end of year create festival!"

Selphie and Namine shrieked in delight. Roxas let out a groan.

"First, there's the group number. I've got big plans for this piece, it's going to be amazing. The song we're dancing to is called 'So Stupid'. It's a lyrical piece with pops of jazz and hip hop, perfect for everyone's style. Now, I've been watching you all very closely and I've seen some fantastic improvement in you all. I've decided there are going to be special solos within the group dance to let you all shine. But in keeping with the theme of the song about love and betrayal, I want a main guy and girl in this dance."

Namine immediately perked up (more than she already was, if it were possible), bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"I've decided to run a little audition for these roles. So today, I'm gonna teach you part of the choreography for this dance, and then you'll present it back to me and I'll judge who's fit for the role. Okay boys and girls, in position and watching me!"

Namine was in her element. The style was perfect for her; she picked up the moves quickly and felt perfectly in sync with the teacher. She didn't exactly relate to the lyrics of the song, which were about a boy who felt stupid for loving a girl who betrayed him, but she thought of Sora as she danced and how proud he would be to see her on stage. And perhaps while he did, he could think about how very not stupid it would be to date her! As well as that, she'd get to show off her moves to her classmates, and really shine. She put her all into this lesson.

Roxas was also trying extremly hard. Namine had taught him a lot on their private lessons, and he didn't want that to go to waste. He was still a bit clunky and slow, but he was a million times better compared to the first lesson. He could dance in time, with relatively accurate moves, and his face turn to one of hard concentration as he danced. Of course, he was also watching Namine from the corner of his eye. She really did look beautiful when she danced.

Miss Lockhart stopped the music and the students flopped to the floor, exhausted. She had pushed them all to their limits today. Even Namine and Selphie were doubling over and panting.

"Excellent! Excellent work! I'm so proud of you all! You all gave it 110%. I wish I could make you all leads, but you'll each get a solo component in the group dance for your amazing efforts."

"Great..." Roxas sighed, and Namine thumped him on the chest.

"Hey! You've gotten so much better. You should want to show off your moves."

Roxas shrugged. "Or I could give you my section and you could have double the solo time."

Namine nodded contemplatively. "That would be nice..."

"Oh Nam," Selphie shook her head. "You really should ask for a solo."

Miss Lockhart looked over her notes and nodded. "Alright, everyone give a big congratulations to our female lead, who works consistently hard at her craft and always has boundless energy and knowledge for dance... Namine!"

The class clapped with vigour and Namine could hardly believe it. She'd worked hard, but there were so many other talented girls in the room! She couldn't wipe the smile off her face and continually said, "Oh, thank you!". Selphie hugged her friend hard and Roxas beamed beside her.

"Now, the main male lead is someone I've been watching very closely," Miss Lockhart started again, and the clapping died down. "He's shown the biggest improvement out of all the boys and his dedication has really impressed me. This role goes to... Roxas!"

The class once again clapped and cheered. Neku patted the blonde on his back and Selphie shrieked in shock. Namine was so proud she leaned out and hugged Roxas tight. And throughout it all, Roxas had a face of utter disbelief. He felt proud as punch, but a wave of anxiety came over him as he thought of being centre stage. Then as Namine hugged him, he was overcome with nerves. He didn't realise he could feel so much in a split second. He'd be doing on-stage partner work with Namine! He wouldn't let her down. He couldn't. Not after all the hard work he'd out in. He finally cracked a lopsided smile and managed a quiet "Thanks,", and was about to hug Namine in return, but she had retreated her arms to clap for him.

"Right, class is almost over, but next week we'll add more choreography to the dance. Amazing stuff, kiddos!" Miss Lockhart cheered, fist-pumping the air. Everyone left the classroom with a buzz of excitement, and Namine and Selphie were positively cooing over Roxas.

"See! We told you you could do it! You're amazing!" Namine gushed, bumping into the embarrassed blonde on their way back to their lockers.

"You have to sign up for So You Think You Can Dance. You're the lead!" Selphie in turn gave a few small punches to his arm in excitement.

"I couldn't have done it without you two..." He said sheepishly, brushing blonde locks from his eyes. "Thanks a lot."

"It's our pleasure," Namine beamed, her feet hopping as she recited the dance as they walked. "I just can't wait! The create festival is going to be amazing!"

"It will be with you as the lead," Roxas smiled. Selphie cleared her throat and Roxas chuckled. "And you'll get a solo part too, Selph!"

"You know it!"

Roxas sighed, the weight of everything going on disappearing just for a moment, and he basked in Namine's happiness. He was so thankful he'd tried his hardest for her sake. Even if everything didn't work out... at least he could make her happy.


	9. City Centre Begins

Roxas stood on the platform of the freezing cold train station. His mum was working the morning shift and had dropped him off fairly early, but it was just as well, because the blonde had yet to buy his train ticket. As he did, he saw Mr. Caelum already at the end of the platform, ready to sign off names. City Centre was going to be big.

There were a few other early students, so he stood with them and waited for his friends to arrive. This brought with it a pang of worry; he and Kairi had made absolutely no progress with Namine, and if Sora went through with his plan, she would have her heart broken. Roxas was running out of options.

"Hey," a voice from beside him brought his world to focus. Sora, his hair unruly, his face paler than usual, and wrapped tight in a warm scarf.

Roxas furrowed his brow in concern. "What's wrong, Sora?"

Sora quickly looked back at the entrance of the train station, making some no one else could hear him. "I dunno if I should ask Kairi out this week."

"What? Why?"

He looked down at the damp tracks, concern in his eyes. "I dunno, she's been a bit distant this week... maybe she doesn't like me after all. She didn't want to practice our lines outside of class, and she's been... avoiding me a bit."

Roxas' heart jolted. He suddenly had a gleaming, shining way to postpone Namine's heart getting crushed. He could agree, tell Sora to wait, and let Namine's feelings simper away as Sora clearly wasn't reciprocating.

... But _would_ she ever notice? Or was she so infatuated with him that she'd pursue him for years before he finally had to say 'in case you didn't notice, I don't like you!'?

A flush of shame suddenly rushed through the blonde's veins. How could he even _consider_ messing this up for Sora? It wasn't his fault that Namine liked him. It wasn't his decision to make. And even Namine's feelings... they weren't his to manipulate either. Even if he he knew better...

The frustration boiled to an uneasy height, and Roxas had to push down his thoughts before they erupted.

"I wouldn't worry about it." He said, meeting Sora's eyes with earnest. Sora returned the gaze, looking for reassurance. "Girls are just weird sometimes. I'm sure her feelings haven't changed. Besides, you won't know unless you try, right?"

Sora smiled, the passion returning to his eyes, and he nodded. "You're right. I've already made up my mind. I can't back down now."

Roxas nodded in agreement, and from the corner of his eye saw that Namine, Kairi and Selphie were entering the entrance of the station. He noticed Namine's excited expression, and Kairi's slightly worried one - he smiled sadly. Kairi had no idea how lucky she would be by the end of the week, even though she thought her love life was falling apart. Was there really anything he could do?

x-x-x

The train ride into the city was long, and regular passengers were beginning to scrunch their noses at the boisterous lot of year 9 students. Tidus and Wakka were chatting especially loudly with their group. Poor Olette continuously glanced behind her, where Hayner's group was sitting, giving him a pleading expression. Roxas and Sora were talking about the interview they had organised with the Twilight City constable, and Kairi was gently watching over Namine, who grew paler by the second - her travel sickness was getting the better of her.

When they arrived at Twilight Central, the city's main train station, Miss Gainsborough and Mr. Caelum ushered them out, having to keep an especially close eye on the boys. They went up the escalators and passed several fashion shops, at which Kairi and Selphie cooed and begged Miss Gainsborough for a quick look. Luckily, Selphie quickly became distracted by the architecture of the plaza and was gushing and taking photos for her portfolio. Zidane and Blank almost went down the wrong escalator and got lost, and Namine was slow to walk with her nausea. Eventually, the two teachers were able to guide their forty-strong class to a corridor between the shops, which led to a large room filled with chairs and a projector screen. The room had been hired for the event as their 'home base', where students would gather for meet-ups and research.

After a long-winded introduction by Mr. Caelum (with a terrible powerpoint presentation, Pence quipped), the class were finally let loose on their first assignment - gathering results for their public survey. They were to meet back at the meeting point by midday, at which time Miss Gainsborough suggested they should have 25 surveys filled.

"We're finally free!" Selphie stretched as the group left Twilight Central and emerged on the bustling streets of the city. The sun was shining, but the winds brought with them an awful chill. People were walking in every which direction - business people rushing to work and talking on their phone, young hipsters with a coffee in hand, glamorous shopaholics clacking their high heels on the pavement, joggers clad in the latest exercise gear... Namine sucked in a breath and enjoyed the ambiance of the high-rise buildings reflecting the sunlight, and the bright green trees that decorated the streets.

"Alright gang, let's head to McDonald's!" Tidus announced, ushering Wakka, Selphie, Olette and Pence over. "We'll meet up with you guys later!"

"Don't eat too much," Hayner teased. The five teenagers headed off, Tidus taking the lead. Hayner turned back to his team. "Do you think they'll actually get any surveys done?"

"I don't think _we'll_ get any surveys done," Roxas sighed. "What a boring assignment."

"Come on you guys, don't you want a good score?" Namine scolded, but the boys seemed adamant to avoid the work.

"Couldn't we just fudge the results, and explore the city instead?" Hayner offered, which sparked the attention of everyone in the group, even Namine. At first the guilt prickled; it was the wrong thing to do, but the excitement of spending free time with Sora outweighed this worry.

"Well... let's get at least 10 real ones, okay?" The blonde girl warned, and Hayner waved his hand in indignation.

"Sure, sure. Hey, let's go check out the arcade!"

x-x-x

Namine had to admit that they'd had a rather memorable morning. After the boys had a heated car-race battle at the arcade, they won enough tickets to shout everyone some treats, and the gang gleefully munched as they explored the area. The arcade was next to an array of shops, cafe's and entertainment areas. No wonder the city was so busy - add in a class of year 9 students, and it became simply chaotic.

The troupe had wandered off to a grassed area where they filled out their own surveys, giggling and quipping as they pretended to be members of the public. "Yup, I'm a 45 year old woman, and I think crime in this city is dreadful..." Sora trundled in a fake girl voice. After they were done, they saw a giant playground nearby and decided to take some photos on it, doing silly poses and hanging upside down. Sora had gotten so excited he ran his shin into one of the bars, which had Hayner doubling over with laughter, but Namine was quick to make sure he was okay, fussing over him and asking if it hurt. Kairi pursed her lips at this and quickly changed the subject.

They started to head back to Twilight Central, and along the way saw many other of their classmates. They noticed Zidane trailing Garnet especially close with a flirtatious grin, and Denzel was helping to carry Marlene's bag, to which the strap had broken. Namine smiled; love seemed to be on everyone's mind this year, as everyone was getting older and thinking about it more. She wondered if maybe it was because everyone was outside the school grounds, and out in the real world - maybe this sparked the want to hook up with their crushes. Namine glanced at Sora and smiled, wondering if this would be their time too. It certainly was exciting, exploring the city together... she wondered if she could wrangle a moment alone with him.

Back in the meeting place, Miss Gainsborough lead the class to the Twilight Central food court for lunch. With this many students, the poor customers had nowhere to sit; it was a sea of Destiny High school uniforms.

"I'm starvin'!" Wakka announced as he hoed into his hamburger. Hayner raised his eyebrows.

"Didn't you guys eat fast food all day?"

"We managed to control them... somehow," Selphie sighed. "So did you guys get all your surveys done? Talking to strangers is _so_ stressful!"

Sora's group glanced at each other with wry smiles, at which Olette gave a quizzical look. "You guys didn't do it?"

"Oh, we did..." Hayner smirked, "But we fudged them all."

"What!?" Tidus piped up, dropping his fries. "Why didn't we think of that!? We are so faking the rest of our surveys."

"Wait, you guys just goofed off while we worked like a bunch of chumps?" Pence questioned, pointing an accusing fry at the group.

"That's right!" Sora laughed, happily eating his own burger. "We had the best time. We went to the arcade, and the playground..."

"That is sooo unfair!" Selphie wailed. "Next time we have to do surveys, we're coming with you guys! I knew I shouldn't have gotten stuck with these losers!"

Tidus gripped his chest, feigning a hurt expression. "I thought you loved me, Selphie!"

x-x-x

After lunch, the first whole-class activity was the fitness class. The boys didn't feel much like exercising after their heavy lunch, but luckily it was free-reign session of the gym equipment. The ten teenagers decided to take advantage of the yoga mats, and did easy stretches. They would have just sat around and chatted, but Mr. Caelum was on-guard and making sure everyone was actually doing the activity.

"Hey, you guys should show us your dance!" Olette suggested, noticing everyone running out of ideas. "Get a bit of practice in!"

"Great idea, Olette!" Selphie ushered Namine and Roxas up. Roxas stayed put, so the brunette tugged on his arm. "Come ooon!"

"We wanna see your dancing, Roxas!" Sora winked at the blonde, "Especially your partner work!" He gave Roxas a suggestive look, nodding his head towards Namine. Roxas shook his head at Sora's poor attempt at matchmaking.

"Even better! I'll bring Ventus over here!" Selphie bounded off to find the blonde. "VEN!"

"I can't wait to see Roxas dance," Hayner put his hands behind his head lazily, "If only we had some popcorn."

Roxas narrowed his eyes at his friend. "You're dead meat at the next struggle tournament."

Still, seeing as there was no actual dance class this week, Roxas felt complied to join in. After Selphie dragged Ven over, they went through their routine, Namine uttering a 'one, two, three, four...' to compensate for no music. The rest of the gang actually looked quite impressed, and even Tidus and Wakka were clapping hard by the end.

"Geez, Roxas, you got good!" Tidus exclaimed. "You're gonna have all the ladies begging for you now!"

"I dunno..." Roxas scratched his head sheepishly, but Selphie and Namine did a mock swoon to prove his point. He blushed ferociously as Namine leaned on him in fake-admiration. "Stop it, you guys!"

"Seriously though, you guys are amazing!" Kairi stood from her perch next to Sora. "Show me that move at the start!"

With Kairi wanting to learn, soon everyone was trying to learn the routine, though most of them weren't serious. Tidus and Wakka stuffed the moves up so badly they looked like they were drunk, and Olette was very modestly leaning on Hayner for support, who wasn't dancing at all. Sora even tried to do a rather difficult move, but tumbled and bumped into Namine. The collision wasn't actually enough to push her over, but Namine was in such a daze of dancing with Sora that she feigned falling and allowed him to prop on top of her, and they were laughing with each other on top of the mats. She blushed madly at the physical contact and reveled in the moment. It was at this moment Roxas glanced at Kairi, who wad glancing right back at him with wide eyes. It was also at this moment when Mr. Caelum came striding over to yell at the troupe.

x-x-x

"Today was so much fun!" Namine smiled as she and Roxas walked home from the station. It was late afternoon and very chilly, but the walk wasn't very long. "I can't wait for Kairi to send me the photos from today. And oh my gosh, did you see the guys trying to do our dance? Sora was so funny!"

Roxas smiled hard, hoping his expression didn't look fake. He had also had a fun day, but seeing Namine so infatuated by Sora had proven that he couldn't change Namine's feelings. On Friday, Sora would ask Kairi out. Namine would be distraught. He had only one option left.

After he dropped Namine at her house, he sent Kairi a quick text message.

 _I think we should tell Namine the truth. That way everything gets out in the open. It's not the way I wanted to confess to her, but... she has to know._

Roxas tapped on send and his heart thumped hard in his chest. He felt so scared of the possible outcome. He would spare Namine the embarrassment of confessing to Sora, and he would allow Sora to ask Kairi out... but would he ruin his friendship with Namine altogether?

When he got home, his phone buzzed in his pocket and he read the reply.

 _Are you sure? It would be the best option, but I'm scared she'll hate me for lying. And what if she doesn't feel the same way about you?_

Roxas quickly replied.

 _Don't worry about telling her you like Sora. I'll just confess and see what happens. Maybe she'll think about it and stop liking Sora. And if not... then at least I'll know how she feels._

Roxas flopped onto his bed, dreading to confess to Namine. Another buzz.

 _Thanks Roxas. I'm with you every step of the way. I really hope she'll like you back..._

x-x-x


	10. Distracting Activities

City Centre was quickly becoming a success. The class was actually getting a lot of work done (bar a certain group of ten who continued to fudge their survey results) and the group activities were going down a treat. They had already been to the radio station, where each group got to record a mini-segment, and the sports centre where the boys stood proudly in front of a statue of a great struggle tournament winner. It was already Wednesday, and the gang were still hanging out in the meeting place, waiting for Tidus' group - they had forced Olette to make a call to organise another interview because their first one flopped. The poor girl was sweating as she dialed the number with four stressed students hovering over her.

Sora and Hayner were chuckling at the display, but Roxas easily wished he could trade lives with the brunette. He still hadn't talked to Namine and he only had two days left, but he was struggling for find a private moment with her. Every spare moment of the day, she was trying to spend time with Sora. Kairi had tried to separate the pair too, but to no avail. Roxas was avoiding the whole situation like the plague.

The boys laughed, bringing Roxas back to focus; Selphie was now recording Olette taking the call on her phone. Olette swatted her hand near the phone, pulling faces while politely booking the interview. Tidus and Wakka were holding back their chuckles.

"Say guys, since we're all hanging out today, why don't we check out Radiant Garden? I'd love to see it," Kairi suggested to her group.

Roxas saw Sora's face fall; that was their date destination for Friday. He still gave a good-natured smile and nodded. "Sure we can. And if we really like it, we should visit it again before the week ends."

"Ooh, that'd be great!" Kairi gushed, smiling up at the brunette boy.

Roxas had to give him credit - he could really be smooth when he wanted to be.

x-x-x

"Nooo, my slurpie!" Tidus wailed, his combination of chocolate, sea salt and lime flavoured drink sitting in a mush on the grass.

"Got too excited, buddy?" Wakka teased, slurping up his own concoction of paopu and strawberry flavoured smoothie. Tidus gave an exaggerated cry.

The gang were currently traversing the beautiful pathways of Radiant Garden. The trees supplied a barrier against the harsh wind, and the flowers were blooming despite the gloomy weather. The pathways were clean but bustling with people; mothers with their prams, children running about, teenagers on skateboards and adult joggers running by. Roxas looked forlornly at one boy on his skateboard, wishing he could have brought his own.

Selphie was busy taking photos of everyone, and her enthusiasm was so infectious the park visit turned into an all-out photoshoot. Everyone was more than happy to oblige with funny poses, except Hayner, until Olette dragged him into view and contorted his face with her hands. He batted her hand away, but he was laughing along with the rest. Tidus made sad faces at his slurpie while Wakka laughed, and Namine pulled Kairi into a hug. Selphie was getting so many great snaps she couldn't stop smiling. Even Roxas almost forgot his troubles, laughing as Sora draped an arm over his shoulder - until Kairi gave him a suggestive look, urging him to take the chance to pull Namine from the group. But as he watched everyone laughing and smiling, making fond memories together, he just couldn't take away from the mood. He shook his head, and Kairi nodded sympathetically.

Soon, Selphie propped her camera on a tree branch and ushered everyone into a group pose. They hurried into position and the camera clicked, and they rushed to view the photo. They promptly fell into loud, uncontrollable, from-the-gut laughter. Selphie was running into position and looked like she was tripping, Wakka was mock-choking Tidus, Sora had closed his eyes, Hayner was mid-sentence, and Kairi was mid-laughter. The photo was an utter failure, but that also made it all the more special. "We'll remember the laughs forever this way!" Olette smiled, and everyone agreed.

Basking in the aftermath of their laughter, everyone made their way back to the meeting point. Hayner was taking the lead this time - the next activity was the scavenger hunt, and he was going to _win_.

x-x-x

"Alright guys, listen up!" Mr. Caelum called out over the class. They were sitting cross-legged on the floor of the large room, and it strongly reminded Namine of primary school. Everyone was chatting excitedly like they were little kids again, eager to win the scavenger hunt. Hayner's expression was hard with concentration. Roxas heard Seifer sniggering behind them, claiming he would 'beat those boneheads', which made the blonde huff with frustration. Hayner loved the competition, but Roxas wished he'd just leave them alone.

Mr. Caelum continued, a bit of excitement in his voice. "In a moment we're going to hand out the clues for the scavenger hunt, then each group will be sent out of the meeting point according to how many surveys they've filled out so far. Miss Gainsborough and I will be waiting at the final location of the hunt. Whoever arrives first will win the prize."

"I bet the final location is a cute cafe or something so they can spend time together," Kairi whispered with a sly smile.

Selphie quickly chimed in, "But I thought Mr. Strife totally had a thing for her?"

Hayner shushed them both. "Guys, you're gonna miss the rules! Girls and their gossip..."

When the scavenger hunt booklets made their way around the room, Hayner positively lunged for a copy, quickly perusing the list and coming up with a game plan.

"This'll be a cinch, I grew up in this city," Hayner quipped, "though now I'm wishing Pence and Olette were on our team..."

Olette turned a light shade of pink beside him, but the boy didn't notice. Pence piped up then, leaning forward so the group could hear him. "Why don't we all work together and let the teachers call it a tie? We'll just pretend we're racing each other towards the last location."

"Pence, you're a genius!" Hayner leaned around to thump his friend's back. He quickly pointed to Tidus and Wakka. "You two better not slow me down!"

Wakka scoffed and whacked Tidus on the shoulder. "We're blitzball players, ya? Way faster than struggle champions," He teased, copping a play-punch from Hayner.

"We're definitely gonna win!" Sora smiled, and everyone seemed pretty confident, even with Seifer, Fuu and Rai against them.

Thanks to their rather unsportsmanlike display of survey-filling, Sora and Tidus' group were the first two teams to leave. They quickly rounded the corner of the meeting point and waded through the bustling shopping centre. Hayner had formed a game plan in his head and wanted to leave before any other teams could catch up to them.

"Okay guys, here's the first clue," He announced while they walked, clearly knowing where he was going. "Make your way to Uncle Scrooge's IceCreamery in Twilight Central. What flavour are they serving today? We're not far!"

"I love that ice cream place!" Namine gushed. The popular chain shop also had a location on Destiny Islands, right along the boardwalk.

They quickly rushed into the store and saw an employee handing out mini-cups of free ice cream samples. Sora knew the flavour immediately.

"Passionfruit!" He shouted, startling the poor girl handing them out.

"E-Er, yes, would you like one, sir...?"

Olette and Namine quickly scribbled down the flavour, being the scribes for their groups. Everyone quickly grabbed a sample before Hayner ushered them out.

"This'll keep our sugar levels up!" Selphie teased, scooping a mouthful of the tasty ice cream as she ran. "Mmm!"

"Next clue: what is the cheapest waffle on Donald Street?"

The scavenger hunt clues took them all over Twilight City, including the city library, the marketplace, and the famous Sunset Hill. They swiftly walked through the vibrant city, the sounds of trams chiming their bells and shop merchants shouting out sales giving an air of urgency. Hayner was pink with barely-concealed glee. Namine and Olette were efficient scribes and quickly filled in their list. Every now and then they would spot another team in the distance, but Hayner would always laugh and say, "they're clearly on the clue behind us! We're gonna win!"

They had just arrived at the IMAX theatre, where the tenth clue was, when they saw some unwanted faces.

Seifer, Fuu and Rai were loitering around in the lobby of the cinema. They didn't seem particularly rushed or worried, and chatted amongst themselves.

"How is Seifer here first!?" Hayner gritted his teeth, but Roxas quickly patted him on the shoulder.

"Ignore him, Hayner. Come on - we need to find out what movie is playing for the hunt."

They quickly scuffled over to the cinema schedule and found out what was playing in the largest theatre - "Tron". As Namine and Olette quickly wrote it down, Pence spotted something out of the corner of his eye -

"Hey - you're copying us!"

The girls looked behind them to find Fuu, trying to conceal herself by a movie poster but clearly copying their answers onto her scavenger hunt sheet. She smirked as she ran back towards the boys and they quickly exited the cinema.

"Those cheaters! They waited at the easiest clue and stole our answers!" Hayner was fuming with anger, and almost went after them to beat some sense into Seifer, but Roxas held him back.

"Come on - there are only three clues left. We can still beat them!" The blonde assured. "See the next one? 'How many dressing rooms does Final Mix in Twilight Mall have?' We can get there faster-"

"SEVEN!" All four girls quickly shouted out. The six boys turned their heads slowly, in utter shock.

"H-How do you all know, exactly?" Roxas asked, and the girls giggled amongst themselves.

"It's a long story, but let's just say there was a wardrobe malfunction during year 7 camp." Selphie explained, and before any of the boys could ask questions, Hayner hi-fived the brunette.

"You guys are brilliant! What's clue twelve!?"

The second last clue lead the gang to the Block Arcade, where they'd ventured on Monday, but the final clue had stumped them all, even the former residents of Twilight City.

"Find the restaurant filled with magic and flowers? Only Miss Gainsborough could have come up with that crock," Hayner sighed, bouncing on the balls of his feet restlessly.

"I bet she and Mr. Caelum are having the cutest date right now!" Kairi giggled. Hayner cringed.

"Any of you guys have any clue?" He sighed, turning to his childhood friends.

Pence and Olette shook their heads, Olette twirling her hair nervously. "I can't think of anything like that around here... Most cafes are quaint and quirky."

"You mean hipster," Selphie pointed out.

"What are we gonna do? We have to beat Seifer," Roxas sighed. Seifer's cheating antics had brought out the competitiveness in him.

"Psh, like he's smart enough to work this out if we can't," Hayner half-laughed, but his brow was still furrowed in confusion.

Sora had a glazed expression as he rubbed his chin, then snapped his fingers. "I know! I'll call Riku!"

Everyone looked confused at the boy, and he quickly explained as he dialled his number, "He did this last year! I'm sure they recycled the hunt!"

"Um, Sora... This is the first year of the new program." Namine reminded, but Sora was already listening for Riku to pick up.

"Oh yeah... Well, maybe he'll know anyway!"

He had put him on speaker and the gang could do nothing else but wait for him to pick up.

"... Sora? What are you calling for, man? I'm in sport right now!"

"Riku! You gotta help us! What's a place in the city that's magical and flowery!? It's for a scavenger hunt!"

"Are you serious, Sora? You guys must be desperate... Let me think... Er... Hey!"

There was a scuffle and then Axel's voice boomed over the city noise.

"You kids are hopeless! You need to get out more too, Riku. It's totally Wonderland!"

"Oh, I've heard of that place!" Namine chimed in, but Roxas was sniggering.

"You go to cute flowery cafes often, Ax?"

"I have plenty more embarrassing childhood stories to share, Roxie."

"Guys, let's go for it!" Hayner urged before there could be any more blackmailing. Sora quickly thanked the two as they ran down the streets. This was it - the final sprint!

"Wait, we need to come from different sides of the street so it doesn't look like we worked together," Pence reminded, and the group split up. They could see the restaurant in the distance, themed around a fairy-tale story with flowers galore. Both teachers were sitting at a table out the front of the cafe, and the teams sprinted for their final destination.

"My, my, we have two winning teams!" Miss Gainsborough clapped as they approached. Both Hayner and Tidus slapped down their sheets on the table. "Congratulations! Lucky we have enough prizes for you all."

"That'll show Seifer and his band of dweebs," Hayner fist-pumped the air. The groups came together in a hug and cheered loudly.

"Yeah, team Tidus!"

"Go team Hayner!"

"It should be team Selphie and Namine!"

"Sora saved the day, guys."

"Let's just go with team Destiny High?"

x-x-x

After lunch at Wonderland, the groups had to split off to do some interviewing. Sora's troupe had a successful interview with a court judge about crime in the city, and soon it was time to meet back for the last activity of the day: a theatre showing of the Lion King. Namine was beside herself with excitement as the class entered the auditorium and found their seats.

"I'm so excited! I've heard such good things about this performance!" She gushed, bringing her hands to her cheeks. "This will be great for you to see some live dancing, Roxas. And acting for you two!" She looked pointedly at Sora and Kairi.

"I can't believe we'll be on stage by the end of the year," Kairi said, voice tinged with both worry and excitement.

"These two will be fine," Sora pointed to the two blondes behind him. "They're gonna steal our show!"

Namine managed to wedge herself between Roxas and Sora, but Kairi was happy to be sitting on the other side of Sora. Roxas was worried that Namine would try some classic movie-style flirting devices (the yawn and reach move, anyone?), but as the curtains rose and the theatre was encased in darkness, Roxas realised he didn't need to worry.

The show began and Namine's eyes were positively glued to the stage. He didn't think he'd seen her blink once as she took in the movements of the dancing. He could hear Kairi and Sora whispering, and smiled to himself. Sora must've been so excited about Friday. And Namine...

Roxas suddenly became enthralled by her. The way she gazed upon the actors with such admiration, how her lips quirked upwards into an unconscious smile, how her eyes darted from dancer to dancer, studying their movements... He could stare at her enjoying the show all day. Seeing her so happy... That's all he ever wanted.

Which was why he couldn't stand to see her sad. He couldn't stand it if Sora rejected her and she became distraught and heartbroken. She was so kind and gentle, and maybe a little oblivious... But she didn't deserve to be hurt. He would do anything to stop that, even if he ruined his chances of being with her. If he confessed to her... Maybe it would cushion the blow. And maybe... Just maybe...

He watched as her eyes lit up at a spectacular part of the show, but he missed it all, because he was too busy smiling at her.

x-x-x

The train ride home was quiet that day - the scavenger hunt had worn out most of the students, and they chatted quietly as the train took them home to Destiny Islands. As the train crossed over the bridge, Kairi turned to Namine and tapped on her shoulder.

"You okay? You've been pretty quiet," She asked, concerned for her best friend.

"I'm fine, it's just..." She turned back to where Roxas and Sora were sitting together with the other boys, out of earshot. "I don't think I'm getting anywhere with Sora. I can spend heaps of time with him and he still doesn't like me back."

Kairi pursed her lips, deliberating. "Well, you can never tell what a person is thinking... You never know."

Namine sighed. "It's just so hard to read himself because he's nice to everyone. He'll always talk to me because we're friends... But I never know if the way he's looking at me will mean anything more..."

"Namine..." Kairi searched for the right words, torn between wanting to be a good friend and stopping a potential relationship. "I think you should just do what feels right. If you really like him, I mean really like him..." She pressed, hoping to challenge Namine, "... You'll know whether to go for it or not."

Namine nodded slowly, taking in her words. "I guess... We'll see how it goes. Thanks for being so much help, Kairi." She smiled at her.

Kairi was right... If Namine wanted to know if Sora liked her, she couldn't beat around the bush anymore. Just flirting wasn't working. It scared Namine to death, but maybe telling him was the only way after all. She thought about it well into the night when she got home, listening to Roxas' drumming as she wondered what Sora might say when she confessed her feelings...

x-x-x

Thursday morning arrived in the blink of any eye. It was now or never - Roxas had to confess to Namine.

The day was packed with activities today, with guest speakers at the meeting place, visits to historical Twilight City buildings, and one last slot for survey taking after lunch. It was during this slot that Roxas decided to take his chance, but it was getting increasingly difficult, as the ten-strong team were hanging out once again, this time back at the arcade. Tidus, Wakka and Sora were watching Hayner and Pence verse in a virtual car race, Olette and Namine were window shopping nearby, and Kairi was helping wingman Selphie after she spotted a particularly cute city boy.

Roxas edged closer to the two girls, watching Selphie look disappointed as the boy politely excused himself.

"He was too old for me anyway," She quipped, though clearly disappointed. While she was huffing, Roxas tapped on Kairi's shoulder and she walked with him to a noisy part of the arcade. Selphie watched on with a mischievous grin.

"I'm gonna do it now." Roxas said, his voice quivering against his better wishes. Kairi clapped her hands to her mouth.

"Oh, Roxas, I was going to say to you, you shouldn't force yourself to do this... It's clearly not how you want to confess." She looked guilty. Roxas knew she felt bad about getting out of her dilemma scott-free.

He shook his head. "It's the only way without hurting her feelings. Besides, I need to get it out... I can't stop thinking about her."

Kairi looked solemn, but nodded. "If you're sure, Roxas... I'll be thinking of you. Go get the girl."

He smiled despite himself. His insides were churning, his heart was beating out of his chest, and his brain was thinking in scrambles... He wasn't ready. But the pressure of Sora's confession was too much to bear, after all they'd put in to stop Namine.

He sucked in a deep breath and turned to look for the blonde girl. Everyone had moved places by now; Olette and Hayner were facing off in a round of air hockey, Selphie was trying to talk to Tidus but he was ignoring her while trying to win at the claw machine, and Pence and Wakka were playing a shooting game. Where did Namine and Sora go?

Roxas had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Kairi tried to follow Roxas as he searched, but she was stopped by Selphie.

"Kai, are you sure there's nothing going on with you and Roxas? Cause just between you and me, you two would make a cute couple. And cute babies."

Kairi spluttered at the brunette's antics. "S-Selphie! Roxas and I are not together and never will be, trust me. He's like an annoying big brother."

Selphie looked dubious. "Then why are you spending so much time together? This group could use some romance, you know."

Kairi grinned. "Then maybe you should go out with Wakka."

Selphie turned a great shade of red. "W-Who told you?"

"Told me what? Are you hiding something Selphie?" Kairi winked, loving the upper hand for once.

Selphie was busted. "K-Kairi! Nothing happened, I swear!"

Selphie's cries were lost on Roxas as he rounded the corner of the arcade and into the annex, where he finally found his two missing compatriots. He stayed hidden behind a pillar, noting the serious air between them. What was going on...?

Namine was blushing fiercely. "Um... Sora, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time..."

Oh. No.

Just then, Kairi came bursting out of the arcade and Roxas had to quickly hold her back and shush her. They both looked on in horror.

"I've been thinking about this for a long time, and now I know I just have to tell you..."

"Tell me what, Namine?" Sora asked, genuinely concerned at her redness.

Kairi slapped Roxas hard on the shoulder. He shook his head slowly.

"I... Okay, I'm just gonna say it," She laughed nervously, looking him in the eyes.

Kairi had to bite her lip to stop from saying something. Roxas wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn't stop looking. He couldn't believe Namine was actually confessing.

He was too late.

"...I like you, Sora."

x-x-x

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The scavenger hunt was lots of fun to write and was really only there to show the friendship between the whole gang. A nice break from the drama ;) What do you think is going to happen!? Find out in the next chapter, coming soon!


	11. All Down Hill From Here

Thanks for the reviews everyone! I loved reading your reactions! You know you're on the right track when your reviewers freak out ;) Here's a fairly quick update for you! Hope you enjoy!

x-x-x

"... I like you, Sora."

Time seemed to come to a standstill for all four teenagers. Kairi couldn't believe her shy childhood friend had just confessed to her crush. She would have been proud of the girl if the boy she was confessing to wasn't Sora. Her heart was racing as she was torn between the two outcomes - her best friend getting hurt or her favourite boy in the world being taken from her.

Roxas forgot how to breathe as he watched on, his heart hammering, his thoughts blurred, his eyes widening, waiting for the agonising seconds to pass until Sora reacted. He couldn't believe he'd missed his chance. After everything he'd done to protect her... She was about to have her heart broken.

Namine was flushed a deep red, unable to contain a quiet, nervous smile tugging at her lips. Her voice had quivered, her hands were shaking; but her heart was set. Despite all the doubt she harboured, she had somehow convinced herself that Sora could actually like her back... That just maybe he felt the same way. If she wasn't so sure, she wouldn't have told him... Her heart gave a jolt at the excitement. Sora might like her back!

And Sora...

Sora's eyes bulged slightly at the news, then furrowed, confused. When he finally decided that Namine wasn't kidding, he blinked several times and uttered a small "Oh..."

The brunette boy's head was spinning. Namine... One of his best friends, someone he loved like a sister, liked him!? As in like-liked him!? All this time, he had no idea how she was feeling. Every conversation, every exchange underlined with a feint hope that he'd like her in return... How had he not seen it? He couldn't believe this was happening. How could Namine just confess her feelings like this when he was planning to do the same for...

But of course, she was just like him; he liked someone who he'd been best friends with for ages. But surely this was different, right? He knew what he felt for Kairi was real, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that she felt the same. But this... This was completely out of the blue. But that didn't make Namine's feelings any less valid... Sora felt the dread of letting her down and the guilt washed over him like a wave. How could he hurt Namine? He loved her... But not like this.

All these dizzying thoughts hit Sora in seconds, and he suddenly became very aware of himself and how he must look to Namine. He tried to look caring and soft; he hoped he hadn't looked too anguished or freaked out just before.

"Namine..." He began, unsure of what to say or do. He suddenly felt very awkward and didn't know what to do with his limbs. He took a breath and looked her in the eyes. "I... I had no idea. I'm sorry I didn't realise..." He wanted to take her hand and comfort her, but he wasn't sure if she would appreciate the gesture right now. "... But I... I like someone else. I'm so sorry."

Sora's heart was heavy as he guaged her reaction, hoping his words had softened the blow...

But Namine knew the answer before he had even spoken. The way his eyes bulged with shock, the distraught expression, the eyes darting back and forth, looking for the right words to say... Her heart shattered.

She had ruined everything.

Every word Sora spoke was like a sharp jab, reminding her of how stupid she'd just been. She couldn't believe how hideously wrong she was. She felt her eyes well up as the disappointment and embarrassment consumed her. Why. Why had she confessed!? Suddenly her courageous truths were turning into vast regrets. What would this do to their friendship? To the group? Would it ever be the same? Why, why was she so stupid!?

Her heart was beating so fast she thought she might throw up. "Oh... Don't be s-sorry..." She trailed off, knowing if she kept talking the cracks would show and the big ugly tears would fall. She just smiled instead and shook her head, but Sora could see the distress all over her face.

"Oh, Namine..." Sora sighed, and tried to pull the girl into a hug, which she almost begrudged before giving in. Sora held her tight.

"Listen to me..." He said softly, his face contorting with sadness, "I'm glad you told me. That was really brave. The fact that you can be so honest with me is testament to our friendship, okay?" He gave her a squeeze and felt her nod slightly. "I'm sorry I can't return your feelings... But I promise you," He pulled back, watching her face scrunch up as she fought the tears, "you can never lose me, okay? No matter what. Please don't regret telling me because I'll always be your friend. I promise."

Namine managed the smallest of smiles, her eyes squinting through the tears. She couldn't believe how nice he was being to her. It made her heart ache even more... He was so perfect, so understanding, and yet he would never be hers. And all the while, she couldn't help but wonder who this lucky girl that he liked was...

Sora held onto her shoulders as she breathed deeply, trying to compose herself. If any of their friends walked into the annex she just knew she'd burst into tears. She didn't look at Sora in the eyes again. She removed herself from his grip and looked to the ground.

"Thank you. I'm sorry." She retreated then to the ladies room, and didn't look back, thoughts muddled as she raced into a stall and sat on the seat. She threw her face into her hands and sobbed.

Sora was left standing in the annex, lost for words. He felt terrible for hurting her feelings, but he knew he would keep his promise. He couldn't imagine not having Namine in his life... He hoped it would blow over soon, but the guilt continued to prickle as he tried to make sense of the situation.

Behind the pillar, Kairi and Roxas were silent. Kairi had tears in her eyes from the heartbreaking scene. Namine had looked so sad... All their efforts to protect her were in vain, and the guilt of lying to her best friend was sitting heavy on the red head's mind. Not only were thoughts of her childhood friend plaguing her thoughts, but the itching curiosity of who Sora liked was sitting in the back of her mind. She didn't want to think about it. Right now, all Kairi could do was be a good friend.

"I'm gonna go look after her," Kairi whispered to her blonde compatriot, gently tapping him on the shoulder. He simply nodded, and she went off to the bathroom, making sure Sora didn't see her.

Roxas was simply motionless. He couldn't get Namine's expression out of his head - absolute anguish. Her beautiful features scrunched up in regret, fighting her tears. Her bright blue eyes bloodshot and wet. Her trembling lip. Roxas had never seen her this emotional, and he hated it. He hated seeing her hurt. He wanted to scoop her up and take her far away from Sora, and tell her how amazing she really was, and that he wasn't worth her tears. That he could make her happier than Sora ever could. But he couldn't tell her how to feel, and in the end he couldn't stop the inevitable. Why had he even tried?

 _Because I love her..._

The answer danced around in his mind, tantalisingly close, but he dared not voice it consciously.

Roxas squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to remember her expression, but he couldn't shake it off. Not only did it hurt seeing her so upset... But it solidified his fear that Namine was really into Sora. How could this be just a silly crush - a mistaken feeling - when she was this heartbroken?

Roxas looked up again to see Sora still in the annex, now leaning against the wall, looking very sorry for himself. Roxas knew what he was thinking - how could he ask Kairi out now, with Namine so upset? His plans were ruined. If only he'd just told Namine he liked her sooner...

There was only one thing left to do now. There would be no confession, and there would be no more deceit. He was just going to be there for her. He would pick up the pieces, and make sure she got through this.

x-x-x

"Namine...?"

The bathroom was empty, thank goodness, for the only sound echoing around the room was soft sniffling sounds. They stopped suddenly at the sound of Kairi's voice, and the blonde's voice cracked as she said, soft as a mouse, "Kairi...?"

"What's wrong, Nam?" She asked, waiting for Namine to emerge from her stall. She did so with dry eyes, but a very red and puffy face.

"I confessed to Sora..." Was all the girl managed before the tears welled up again, and she quickly wiped them away with the sleeve of her school jumper. She simply shook her head to finish her sentence.

"Oh, Namine... I'm so sorry..." Kairi pulled her best friend into a tight hug, and didn't let go for a long time. "You were so brave for telling him. I had no idea. I'm so proud of you."

Namine managed a wry chuckle between sniffles. "Thanks. I was pretty proud of me too. But Sora... He likes someone else..."

Kairi was silent for a moment, that curiosity again niggling at her senses. "Oh, Nam... I'm sorry. But you know, that's a good reason," she pulled back to meet her eyes, "Maybe if he didn't already like someone..."

"That's the worst part, Kai. He could've liked me but someone else was better." Namine crinkled her face in regret.

"Not better," Kairi said firmly. "You're amazing, Nam. Someone else just... Caught his eye sooner. That doesn't make you any less of a beautiful person."

Namine smiled genuinely. "Thank you, Kairi. He was really nice about it, but it still hurts... I feel so stupid."

"You're not stupid," Kairi shook her head. "You're brave, and wonderful, and you'll get through this. I'll be here for you. We'll watch movies and eat junk food and you'll be back to yourself in no time."

Namine's smile grew, and Kairi smiled back. "I'm so lucky to have you." She said with a sniffle.

"What are best friends for?" Kairi said, trying to ignore that prickle of guilt again. She would make it up to Namine. "Now let's get out my compact and fix you up before everyone finds you."

x-x-x

No one seemed to notice the palpable tension as the troupe got on with their day. Namine was almost mute for the rest of the afternoon, and Sora was unusually quiet, but Tidus and Wakka were so hyped up on arcade candy that they made enough noise for everyone. Luckily for the two teens, there wasn't much of the day left. After a pep talk at the meeting point about their last day tomorrow, and the long train ride back to the islands, Namine was glad to almost be home.

The walk home with Roxas was completely silent. Only their footfalls could be heard, and Roxas debated back and forth if he should say something. Whether he knew or not, Namine was extremely out of character. He finally decided to break the silence.

"Are you okay?" He finally asked, watching as she kept her head to the ground. "You're really quiet..."

Namine suddenly stopped walking, and Roxas regretted asking. Clearly she had been thinking about what happened all day long, and the tension had reached an uneasy height. She burst into tears right there on the sidewalk.

"Nam-" Roxas bent forward to grab her by the shoulders, trying to steady the girl. Her whole being shook as she sobbed, not even trying to conceal her tears from the blonde boy. She shook her head and Roxas knew she wouldn't be able to speak - so he drew her into his arms.

Without hesitation, she buried her head in his shoulder and wept, latching onto the material of his school jumper. Roxas held her close, letting her cry. He didn't say another word.

Namine couldn't believe how silly she must look now, just crying in the middle of the street for no reason. She was filled with shame and embarrassment. But the moment Roxas pulled her close, she didn't care. There was an instant ease about being in his arms. He didn't have to ask what was wrong - he just comforted her, and she loved that. That she didn't have to explain herself but need only ask for comfort and it was given... That was Roxas for you. Generous, gentle, and understanding. She knew it sounded silly, but nothing felt wrong when she was in his arms, like he was cocooning her from all the hurt. That was the kind of comfort only Roxas could give.

When the tears finally ebbed away, they stood in silence for some time. Roxas wasn't going to pry, though he already knew what had happened - but he also knew Namine didn't like to be probed when she didn't want to talk. He knew she would tell him when she was ready, and that was enough.

"Sorry..." She finally said, the word muffled against his jumper.

Roxas shook his head and hugged her a little tighter. "It's okay."

She gently let herself out of the hug, and Roxas retreated his arms against his inner wishes. She sighed deeply and raggedly from the crying.

"Thank you." She looked down for a moment, seemingly deliberating, but Roxas spoke before she could.

"You don't have to tell me right now. It's okay," He repeated, and Namine looked up with glassy eyes and an appreciative smile. She simply nodded, and Roxas took her cue and started walking again. Instead of parting ways at the edge of the street, Roxas walked her right up to her house. A quick goodbye, and Namine was safely inside.

Roxas sighed deeply. He couldn't help but feel heady at how their bodies seemed to fit so perfectly when they hugged. It was a bittersweet feeling. But he shook it off. He was there to comfort her now. He had to put those feelings behind.

x-x-x

Not long after Roxas got home, he had an unsurprising guest knock at his door. An uncharacteristically upset Sora, hands in his pockets to escape the cold night air, his signature spikes seemingly drooping with his mood.

"Sora? What's wrong?"

The brunette boy sighed. "I can't ask Kairi out anymore."

Roxas furrowed his brow while he let his best friend inside. "What? Why?"

The boys went into the music room where Roxas' drum kit was - a supposedly soundproof room, though a certain neighbour would say otherwise.

"Namine told me she liked her." Sora said, his voice heavy.

Roxas was still so shocked from the day he barely had to pretend. "What?"

Sora shook his head. "I know. It completely surprised me. I'm sorry, Roxas."

Roxas was so grateful for a friend like Sora. Here he was distraught about his delayed relationship, and he was worried about _him_. "It's not your fault, Sora. I told you Namine didn't like me that way..."

"I was so sure though..." Sora sighed. "Did you have any idea she liked me?"

"... No." A wave of guilt.

"I just couldn't believe it. Namine's like a sister to me. I hope this doesn't wreck our friendship..."

Roxas shook his head. "I'm sure it won't. You're both so close. Maybe she just got friendship confused with romance... You know how girls can be." He added lightly, and Sora managed a smile.

"Yeah... You're right. I'm sure we'll be okay. But I can't ask Kairi out now. How horrible would I be to ask her out after Namine just confessed to me? She'd definitely hate me then."

Roxas sighed. "She wouldn't hate you... But I agree it would be bad to do that."

Sora let out another exasperated sigh. "This sucks! I so wanted to ask Kairi out. It's even supposed to be nice weather tomorrow... It was gonna be perfect."

"I know." After all was said and done, this was one of the things Roxas had wanted to protect most, other than Namine - Sora and Kairi's relationship. If he had just told her sooner, she might not have confessed to Sora, and he could have asked Kairi... And even worse, now Kairi knew Sora liked somebody, and if he didn't act fast her doubts might grow. This had all just gone horribly wrong.

"Don't worry, Sora," Roxas started, and the brunette looked up solemnly. "You'll come up with an even better way to ask her. Maybe at the end of your production, or at the festival... Just long enough for Namine to get over you."

Sora nodded slowly. "I guess... Plus, I told her I liked someone, so maybe after a while she'll tell me it's okay..." He ruffled his unruly hair. "I still really wanted to ask her though. But I feel so bad about Nam. I didn't want to hurt her."

"It's nobody's fault. It just happened that way."

"Yeah... But what about you?"

The question hung heavy between them as Roxas thought about his answer.

"... Look, she liked you. And she'll probably take some time to get over it. So I just wanna be a good friend for her right now. She doesn't like me... That's that. But I'm just lucky she's my friend."

Sora smiled sadly. "You're a great friend, Roxas. I'm sorry."

Roxas pushed the boy lightly. "Stop that, it's not your fault. It is what it is. Now start thinking of an amazing way to ask Kairi out at production. Give her flowers in front of the whole school.

Sora's playful smirk returned. "Remind me why I asked for your advice again?"

x-x-x

The last day of city centre was here. Other than a visit to the famous markets in the afternoon, the day was free for students to finish their research. The troupe actually had to do work today to finish their assignment, so they split off to their interviews. While Tidus' team headed to more fast food chains, Roxas' group was deliberating at Twilight central.

"Who scheduled two interviews at the exact same time at two different ends of the city?" Kairi asked the group dubiously. Everyone looked back innocently. "Well, it doesn't matter now, but we'll have to split up to make it to both."

"Why don't we just cancel one?" Hayner asked, clearly bummed it was the last day.

"We only have two other interviews. Do you want to fail this assignment?" Kairi sighed. "One is with statistic guy and the other is with a junior officer."

"I call the officer!" Hayner raised his hand. Kairi rolled her eyes.

"Which one is less far away?" Namine asked quietly. Sora had been right; the day was gloriously sunshiny today, but everyone had still dressed for winter, and the extra layers were making Namine more susceptible to travel sickness. With that and her emotions today, Kairi wished she could just take the poor girl shopping.

"The statistic guy. It's at that big newspaper building, so you only need to use the train, whereas to get to the officer we need to use the trams."

"Okay," Namine nodded. Before Kairi could put her hand up, Roxas quickly chimed in that he'd go with Namine. The two shared a private smile.

"Alright, then Sora, you go with Hayner. And I'll go..." Kairi wanted to stay with Namine and look after her, but she knew she needed space, and having two people hovering over her would be too much. Plus, she was sure Roxas wanted to spend some time with her. She granted him this time, having already organised a sleepover for Nam on the weekend. "... I'll go with the boys because you know they're hopeless without one of us, Nam."

Namine giggled and Hayner huffed in indignation, completely oblivious to the going ons between the four teenagers around him.

"Alright, we'll catch you guys back at the market this afternoon then." Hayner waved off the two blondes and ushered the others to follow him. "Let's go! We might be able to sneak in some free time if we get there early."

"This boy, I swear..." Kairi sighed but followed suite, glancing back to give Namine a comforting smile. Namine smiled back, grateful for the sole company of Roxas. He wouldn't ask questions, and she could just mull in her thoughts.

After the three left, Roxas turned to the petite girl. "Are you ready? Do you wanna wait a little bit?"

"No, I'm okay," Namine shook her head, and they headed for the train station, Roxas keeping a close watch on the girl. They entered the packed city carriage, having to stand as there were no seats.

"How many stations til we get there?" Namine asked, a quiver in her voice. Roxas checked the map.

"Four. Not too many"

"Uh-huh..."

But in a packed train with sunlight streaming in and clad in a coat and scarf, it was definitely too long for Namine. She felt immediately queasy. She would have stripped her coat, but there was no room to move, and she was using all her energy to simply stand straight in the moving carriage. She held on tight to the pole beside her, trying to find something to fix her eyes on, but everything made it worse - the moving landscape, the shaking carriage floor, and Roxas' worried expression. She was turning paler and the urge to throw up was getting stronger. She watched carefully for people to leave their seats so she could sit down, but nobody moved, and at each stop more people came on, making it hotter and more uncomfortable.

"Just two stops now..." Roxas said softly, but his soothing voice did nothing to help her nausea. She started to breath deeply and quickly, almost hyperventilating, her palms becoming so sweaty she found it hard to hold onto the railing. Why didn't she take her coat off before getting on the train? Why was every decision she made lately so stupid?

The train jerked to its next stop and Namine felt a powerful wave of nausea. Tears welled in her eyes and her heart hammered. "Roxas..." There was panic in her quiet voice.

Roxas would have ushered her out then, but the train took off again. "The next stop Nam, we're almost there..."

But her face contorted even further and she barely concealed a sob as she reached out and grabbed his arm, eyes fixed to the ground, breathing hard and fast. Roxas held onto her arms, not knowing how to comfort her. They had to get off now or Namine would be sick.

"Almost there Nam... Almost there..." He chided as he saw the station near. Namine was almost green by now, eyes bulging with concentration. She tried to think of anything but being sick, but even thinking about Sora couldn't distract her from the bile rising in her throat-

The doors whooshed open and Roxas guided Namine out quickly, thankful for kind city people who got out of their way. She collapsed to the floor of the station and gasped for air, the sting of the cool wind instantly making her feel better. She stripped off her jacket and scarf, hurling them to the ground, and stayed very still for a long time. Slowly, the nausea ebbed away and the wind cooled her skin. Roxas stayed by her side the whole time, rubbing her back and making sure her scarf didn't blow away.

Once the nausea was gone, Namine let the cracks show once again. She couldn't hold it back. Her lip trembled and the tears returned. "Everything's ruined, Roxas."

"Namine..." Roxas quickly looked around; there weren't many people but he wanted a more secluded space for her. "Come with me..." He grabbed her hand and tugged her gently away.

Holding back the sobs, Namine followed Roxas, wiping away stray tears as his hand guided her out of the station and into the sunshine. After a quick survey, Roxas found a nice shady area in a park nearby, surrounded by flowers. It reminded him of Sora's ruined date and he sighed sadly as he brought Namine over to the seat. He sat next to her, and waited. He was still holding her hand.

Only seconds passed before Namine sighed, and let her heart spill. "I have something to tell you, Roxas. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but you were so busy with dancing and drums I didn't want to bother you..."

"You could never bother me, Nam..." Roxas squeezed her hand.

Namine managed a small smile. "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you earlier. Well... I wanted to tell you that I... I like Sora. And... yesterday, I told him. And he doesn't like me back. And now everything is ruined."

Roxas sighed, running his thumb over her hand slightly. "Namine... I'm sorry. That wouldn't have been easy." His words felt empty when the words he really wanted to say danced on his tongue.

"Roxas... I'm scared I've ruined our friendship. And for some stupid reason I thought he might like me back..." A single tear fell, and Roxas wanted nothing more than to wipe it away, but he fought the urge.

"It's not stupid. Why wouldn't he like you? You're amazing, Nam."

She smiled slightly. "Well, he likes someone else. And now he probably won't act on it because of me. And a horrible part of me doesn't want him to. I'm the worst friend, aren't I?"

"No," Roxas said, very firmly, "You're not. You're just hurt. You're allowed to be hurt. And you guys will stay friends, I know it. You both mean too much to each other. Just you wait, this will bring you guys closer than ever."

Namine sniffled, using her free hand to wipe her eyes. "You think so?"

Roxas smiled. "I know so."

The blonde girl smiled again. "You're the best, Roxas. I'm sorry for all this, and last night... I'm a mess."

Roxas chuckled. "You're the prettiest mess I know." She giggled, and he felt a flutter of achievement. "Let's ditch the interview."

Namine looked up, confused. "What?"

"We'll make up the numbers later. How hard can statistics be, right? We'll go get some ice cream and have some fun. Without Sora."

Namine looked like she was about to protest, but she quickly softened, and nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Roxas."

After a quick search on his phone, Roxas found a local ice creamery and shouted Namine to her favourite Paopu flavoured cone. They walked around the city and checked out the shops, talking and chuckling with an air of content that only follows after you spill your heart out. The whole time, Namine couldn't help but look to Roxas with admiration. How has she gotten so lucky to have amazing friends like this? She had to be grateful for that, even after the terrible 24 hours she'd been through.

When it was time to head back, they quickly wrote down a fake interview and caught the train, and Roxas was quick to find a seat for Namine, standing over her the way home. Namine smiled, exhausted and emotionally drained, but basking in the rescued afternoon.

 _Thank you, Roxas..._

x-x-x

Such an emotional chapter! Most of you were right on the money, so I hope you enjoyed this! What will happen from here? There's a lot more drama to come - stay tuned!


	12. Friends

Sorry for the delay! Please don't kill me! Oh goodness, your reviews make me happy! I hope you guys like this chapter. It's a bit more filler-ish since we've just had a lot of drama, but it's still filled with some nice plot progression. Enjoy!

x-x-x

Namine sighed as she placed her dance shoes in her school bag. The weekend seemed to disappear in a second, what with the majority of it being spent at Kairi's house. The two had had a sleepover on Saturday night, and Kairi made sure it was the ultimate post-heartbreak fix: back-to-back romantic comedies, a tub of neapolitan ice cream and a serious heart to heart conversation. Namine felt wondrously better, but the thought of seeing Sora at school again and, even worse, having to work on an assignment with him, made her queasy to say the least. What if it was painfully awkward? What if he couldn't even look her in the eyes? She couldn't stand to lose Sora... it was bad enough he didn't like her, but to lose his friendship would be devastating.

She turned to look at a photo frame she'd placed carefully on top of her desk. A picture of everyone at swimming sports posing in their blue outfits. She was standing right next to Sora.

Above all else, she was afraid that seeing him would be too painful. Even seeing a photo of him reminded her of how wonderful he was, and how he would never be hers. Her brain couldn't make sense of anything right now, but one thing was for sure - she was absolutely heartbroken and riddled with regret.

Namine pursed her lips and grabbed her bag, determined to face the day with at least a little bit of dignity, and promised herself that she wouldn't let seeing Sora get her down.

She walked up the hall with purpose, slipped on her shoes and opened the door, ready to face the day - but an unexpected guest was at the door.

"Roxas?"

The blonde boy jumped, seemingly distracted, and let out a breath of relief. "Geez, Nam, don't scare me like that!"

"You're the one scaring me, standing at my door like that!" She reasoned, closing the door behind her. "And this isn't right - you should still be in bed."

Roxas scoffed. "I'm not that bad, give me a little credit!" He scuffed his shoes against the concrete entrance as he tried to find the right words. "I just... wanted to make sure you were alright."

Namine smiled, a little taken aback by his kindness. "You're sweet, Roxas." He seemed to glow at her words. "Kairi looked after me this weekend, but honestly? I don't think I'm ready to see... him." Gods, she couldn't even say his name! Her intentions of facing the day suddenly flew out the window.

Shaking his head, Roxas urged the girl forward. "Don't say that. You guys are best friends. I know it's hard... but Sora will miss you if you avoid him."

Namine knew Roxas was trying to comfort her, but hearing that didn't exactly help right now. He wouldn't miss her in the way she wanted him to. And even despite that, there was someone else who had his heart. She hummed a vague response before following the blonde boy. "Let's just go. We have to catch up on your dance lessons."

Shoulders drooping in disappointment, Roxas tried to think of better words of comfort as they made their way to school. This turmoil she was going through was exactly what he wanted to avoid, and what with all he knew... He didn't know how to comfort her. He couldn't say what he truly wanted to - that Sora wasn't worth this pain because there was someone who adored her more than he ever could. He felt so stupid for even thinking such things. He had to put his feelings behind now. Be there for Namine - simple as that.

x-x-x

As they entered the Year 9 building, Namine could already see Sora in the distance, talking to Riku and Axel by the lockers. Her heart plummeted to her stomach as they got closer. She quickly turned to Roxas to avoid eye contact, but she needn't have worried, because the older boys provided all the distraction she needed.

"Hey, the kids are back!" Axel threw an arm over both the blondes. "Man, was the school quiet without your class around!"

"Hey, Axel," Roxas greeted, ruffling his spiky red hair. "I knew you'd miss us!"

He scoffed. "As if. Riku, Terra and I had the time of our lives without you guys."

"They're lying, they were completely bored without us!" Sora smiled, and Namine tried to laugh along with the others, but it felt so forced. She just wanted to wallow in her sorrow from the safety of her bed. She kept her gaze downwards.

The bell rang and the boys quickly scattered, allowing Namine to reach her locker. Sora quickly found his books and rushed over to her, determined to make things right.

"Hi," he said softly, and Namine internally grimaced at the initiation.

"Hi..." She smiled at him briefly, then pretended to be looking for a book.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," He said quickly, looking at her eyes, but she wouldn't meet his in return. "You know..."

Namine mustered a quick smile and glance at the boy. "I'm okay. Thanks, Sora." She clutched her books tightly to her chest. "I've got dance now, so I'll see you later."

She quickly pivoted on the spot and walked briskly out the doors, letting the cool winter air dry her eyes. She was afraid Sora would be weird around her, but he was being just as sweet as ever... It was _her_ that was making things difficult. She was so upset. Would she ever be able to get through this?

 _Calm down, Namine,_ she said to herself, willing herself to stop any tears from flowing. _It's only been a few days. Sora's your best friend. You'll get over him... You will._

x-x-x

"Are you okay, Nam?" Selphie asked as she plopped her bag by the blonde's and got her dance shoes out.

Namine tried to look as chirpy as possible, but she could see Roxas out of her corner of her eye, looking concerned. "I'm fine. Just tired from last week."

"Yeah, city centre was so much fun!" Selphie beamed, "I got the BEST photos, I'll print them out sometime and give them to everyone. The group one at the park is so funny!"

Namine forced a smile, but remembered how much she was fluttering around Sora that day. She felt so pathetic thinking about how she acted.

But she couldn't dwell on it for long, because Miss Lockhart quickly got the group stuck into the end of year routine for the Create Festival. 'So Stupid' was coming along nicely, and the whole class seemed to be in sync as they practised the opening part of the song. Namine couldn't help but feel the lyrics were much more relatable to her now... She felt so stupid for loving Sora.

"Excellent feeling, Namine! I can really feel the pain and sorrow through your moves," Miss Lockhart praised, and Namine smiled sadly. She supposed if there was going to be a silver lining to this situation, it would be the added emotion to her dancing.

After a few more run-throughs of the group dance, Miss Lockhart let everyone use the rest of the class time to work on their partner work for the end of year assessment. Selphie happily wandered over to where Ventus was, and Roxas took the opportunity to check up on Namine.

"Nam... How are you holding up?" He asked tentatively, though from the way she was acting he knew the answer. She sighed, letting out some of the stress of hiding her sadness.

"Not the greatest. I couldn't even look at Sora this morning."

Roxas pursed his lips, unsure of how to tackle this problem. "It's only the first day back since city centre. It's okay to not be ready to see him."

Namine nodded, appreciating his words. "I guess. Don't worry about it. Let's work on our partner work, okay? We need to choose a song for our dance."

Roxas crinkled his nose. "Haven't we been through this debate? I do not want to dance to Bleeding Love."

Namine managed a wry chuckle. "Me neither, anymore. I don't want to listen to that kind of song right now."

"Er... Right. Sorry." He cringed at his mistake. "Let's decide later. Show me that one combination you were talking about last week!"

x-x-x

After a lively morning break with everyone gushing about city centre (and a very quiet Namine), the group was back in their home room of 9 Yen Sid. Miss Gainsborough was delighted to see everyone, and Mr Caelum looked pretty chuffed too. Kairi was certain they were dating now. She and Selphie heavily debated whether Mr. Strife was involved in some sort of love triangle with the two until Hayner shushed them fervently.

"Welcome back to school, everyone! I'm so proud of all of your efforts last week. We've made so many lovely new memories as a family!" She gushed, and Mr Caelum cringed, causing the class to laugh. "We're going to spend today's lesson planning for your final presentation in two weeks. You'll be presenting a slide show and speech all about your research and the results of your hypothesis!"

After talking about the marking criteria and speech length, the class dispersed around the large room to get into their groups. Tidus made sure his group was the first on the computers, but Namine had to wonder how much research they were actually doing.

She looked around the bustling room; Zidane was teasing Garnet and Blank was whacking him on the head. Marlene was taking charge of her group and Denzel was looking up at her in awe. Seifer was messing around as usual with his two compatriots. Vanille was fluttering around Hope in excitement. Olette and Selphie were trying to drag Wakka away from the computer, who seemed to be looking at the Blitzball website. Everyone was in their usual lull of ease and content.

Namine looked over at her own group sitting around her. There was an air of discomforture - Kairi's eyes were darting between hers and Sora's, Sora looked apprehensive, Roxas was silent and probably watching Namine like a hawk... And Hayner was totally oblivious to it all, trying to get the group to perk up. Namine hated that she was the cause of this. She didn't want the group to be sad just because of her silly mistake. She decided there and then to stop being a sad sack about it. She had so much to be thankful for - she had amazing friends and had their boundless support, and Sora still wanted to be her friend. She had to snap out of this glum.

"C'mon guys, let's hurry up and make a plan so we can jump on the computers!" Hayner urged his sullen group.

"Hayner's right," Namine piped up, and everyone looked up with surprise. "We had a great week and got some really good results. Let's show them off!"

"That's right!" Sora agreed, and for a split second, they shared a warm-hearted smile between each other. Namine couldn't help but feel proud of herself.

Kairi smiled too, proud of her best friend's resolve. She was so glad their weekend had helped her cope with her feelings, and she tried to give Namine the best advice she could. Of course, she avoided the very small detail of her feelings for Sora during this talk, but it was difficult trying to convince her he was 'just another boy' when she was head over heels for him. Namine had mostly wondered who Sora liked, and Kairi couldn't help but wonder the same thing.

Before everything happened, she truly thought Sora might have feelings for her... The summer had been deliriously blissful and filled with countless moments with him. Every beach trip, shopping expedition and spontaneous outing was laced with small moments - electrifying moments - that she simply couldn't explain. Where they'd laugh together at the smallest of things, when her skin tingled with excitement at every moment of contact with him... but the most amazing moments were when they would lock eyes, just for a moment, and his eyes would soften on hers and she'd simply melt into his gaze before quickly turning away, cheeks ablaze. She knew these moments meant something.

But was it just the wonderful glaze of summer that made it seem that way? When she realised just how obvious Namine's flirting attempts were, Sora seemed to be falling for it, but now she knew he just saw those moments for friendship. What if she was confusing her own moments with friendship too? Sora was incredibly kind and thoughtful. He might see those special moments as platonic too. But he did like _someone_... and Kairi couldn't shake of the gut feeling that it might be her. Was she being too hopeful? What if Sora was just so kind to everyone that he misunderstood her too?

And to make matters worse - what if Sora _did_ like her, but Namine couldn't handle them being together?

Kairi's head hurt from it all.

But when she saw Namine smile at her words, and genuinely laugh, and even cry it all out that weekend - nothing else mattered but to make her best friend smile again. This whole thing with Sora - whatever that thing even was - would have to wait.

"Kairi, you've got the surveys, right?" Hayner asked the russet haired girl, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Oh - yes," Kairi rummaged through her folder and pulled out the fake surveys. As she passed them to Hayner, she caught Sora's eyes - he looked kind of sad as he watched her, but then turned away quickly.

Kairi couldn't help but hope that her gut feeling may just be true.

x-x-x

The days were long but the week was short, and before Namine knew it, it was Friday. Unfortunately the last double period of the day was homeroom, which meant more working on the city centre assignment, which meant more Sora. Namine dreaded it as she packed away her lunch box.

Despite her resolve at the start of the week, the cracks were beginning to show. Namine was avoiding Sora like the plague. At lunch times, she sat as far away from him as possible, normally conversing with Olette and Pence. It was refreshing to talk to friends who were oblivious to her plight. In class, she sat far away from Sora, and during electives she could breathe easy. But working on this speech was beginning to chip away at her. Just seeing him smile, and laugh, and occasionally glance at her and try to make conversation turned her legs to jelly and her mind to mush. She didn't know how to be around him anymore. What was their friendship even like before this happened!?

She stepped into the breezy classroom, with the chilly winter winds trailing in behind her, and quickly found her usual seat next to Kairi. She kept her eyes down to avoid looking at Sora.

The groups split up again, but instead of going off with the boys, Selphie and Olette lagged behind with the others. Selphie held onto Kairi's chair and jumped up in excitement.

"Let's have a sleepover this weekend! We haven't had one in sooo long!" She exclaimed, leaning on Kairi's head. "It'll be so much fun! Just the four of us!"

"Aw, no fair!" Sora chuckled besides the girls, pulling a mock pouty face. "Why aren't we invited?"

Selphie shook her head. "This is a girly sleepover. Chick flicks, nail painting, and girl talk only!"

"But Sora really wants to get his nails done!" Roxas quipped, earning a horrified look from the brunette boy.

"Hey!"

Olette giggled. "Sorry, no boys allowed. We need to reconnect after being stuck with Tidus and Wakka for a week."

"Sounds like fun!" Kairi smiled, and nudged Namine excitedly. Namine nodded, ready for a fun weekend with the girls. She definitely appreciate the 'no boys allowed' rule.

"Selphie, c'moooon! We can't get this graph to work!" Tidus called out, rather wailed across the entire room, earning a glare from Mr. Caelum.

Selphie sighed. "This is why we need this sleepover." She and Olette begrudgingly headed over to the boys, a distressed Pence beside them.

Namine couldn't wait for tomorrow. No Sora, just her and the girls having some quality time.

Their presentation was coming along very slowly. With Namine not talking to Sora and Hayner being hopeless with computers, Roxas and Kairi were taking the reigns. It was very awkward indeed. Namine almost kept her gaze completely on the clock, waiting for the day to end so she could hot-foot it out of here.

Finally her wish came true, and she quickly grabbed her things. "Don't wait for me Roxas, I have to rush home," she apologised to the blonde, then bolted for the lockers. She stuffed her books in her bag and zipped it tight - freedom!

"Namine?"

The blonde girl knew that voice anywhere. She swallowed noisily before peeking over her locker to see the brunette haired boy. "Y-yes?"

Sora had a serious, yet gentle look on his face. "Can we please talk?"

Namine's heart was pounding hard, dreading what was to come. "Oh, um, okay..." She closed her locker and tentatively followed Sora outside, lagging behind ever so slightly. He took her to an empty bench in the courtyard. Around them, students were walking out with their school bags, excited for the weekend. She wished she could be any one of them right now.

They sat in silence for a moment. For Namine, the silence seemed to last for hours. Every second, every agonising beat of her heart made her stomach lurch. What did Sora want to talk about?

Finally, he turned to face her, and she slowly did so in return. His gaze was so startling she couldn't help but stare back.

"Namine..." He began, that sad look back in his eyes, "You're really... Not okay, are you?"

Namine sucked in a breath. She was not ready for this, not now. Not ever. She felt the sting of tears already forming. Why was she so pathetic...?

She grabbed at the hem of her dress so tightly her knuckles turned white. She had to do this. She had to fix what she'd broken.

"I'm sorry, Sora..." Her voice wavered, but she didn't give in. She pushed on. "I don't want to make things awkward between us... I want to stay friends. But I feel like I've ruined everything..."

Sora's expression softened to an empathetic gaze. "You haven't ruined anything, Namine."

"But I have!" She exclaimed suddenly. Why couldn't Sora see that their friendship was effected by this?

Sora shook his head. "You're still my best friend Namine. You're still the girl I love like a sister."

Namine's eyes widened. She sucked in a breath, the noise of the school dulled by his words.

He continued. "I know you might think that this will change what we have... But I promise you it won't. You're still my childhood friend. You're still the girl that helped comb the playground when I lost my tooth. You're still the girl that used her disposable camera to capture the conga line I started at grade four camp." Sora's smile widened as Namine couldn't help but chuckle at the memories. "You're still the wonderful friend who's been through so much with me, and was brave enough to confess her feelings to me. It doesn't matter what happens, Nam. I'll always be your friend. Your best friend. I'll always want to be with you, and have fun with you, and confide in you. You have absolutely nothing to worry about."

Sora let his words sink in, and Namine felt an immense warmth from his words.

He was right. This whole awkward thing was all in her head. Sora still wanted to be her friend, he still loved her, and in many ways this kind of love was even better than romance. The boundless love of a friend. Her heart swelled. She was so, so lucky to have Sora in her life. Her feelings for him would fade, but his friendship would be hers to treasure forever. That, now, she was certain of.

She nodded in silence at first, still so touched by his genuine words. She couldn't believe how much he cared for her to make sure she was okay and to validate her feelings. She leaned out and hugged him, no longer scared of making him feel awkward - and she was so happy that her own awkward feelings were gone.

"You're a really amazing friend, Sora," she said as she hugged him tight, again trying to hold back tears... But they weren't tears of sadness this time. "Really, really amazing..."

Sora chuckled, hugging her in return. "You're an even more wonderful friend. I'm so glad we're okay now." He pulled back to look her in the eyes. "I couldn't stand it when you weren't talking to me. I really missed you."

Namine remembered when she was mad at Roxas for saying Sora would miss her... But he was so right. This really was the only kind of missing she wanted from him now. "I missed you too. I'm so glad you don't feel different around me... I promise I'll go back to being me."

Sora nodded, showing his signature toothy grin. "You better, or we'll need another serious heart to heart again."

Namine giggled. "The next one better be me helping you out. I owe you one big time."

Sora shook his head. "You don't owe me anything. I'm just glad to have you back."

She nodded, biting her lip then. She actually did owe Sora something... But was she ready to say it to him?

Namine felt selfish, but she didn't quite feel ready to give him the okay just yet. The okay to go for the girl he really liked.

x-x-x

"Let's watch Devil wears Prada!"

"No, Mean Girls!"

"She's the Man is the only option, ladies."

Namine was so thankful the biggest challenge of the weekend was which movie to watch. This time last weekend, she was an absolute mess. Now that Sora had taken the time to make sure she was okay, and solidify their friendship, she felt she could move on fully. She was still hurt, but she was just so thankful they were friends again.

Selphie was knee-deep in a packet of Doritos as she watched Olette and Kairi make the final choice. "Before the movie starts, let's talk about crushes!"

The three girls exchanges glances. This had been Selphie's opening line at sleepovers since they were ten. The brunette girl giggled devilishly.

"Oh come on, it's tradition! But actually, there's one thing in particular I want to ask Kairi..." Selphie eyed the girl with a crafty grin.

"Me? I've got nothing going on right now," Kairi shook her head, putting the dvd in the tray.

Selphie stared the redhead down. "Nope. I've been watching you and Roxas the last few weeks. Especially city centre. You guys were looking at each other a lot."

Olette gasped and skooched closer to the circle, causing Selphie to giggle. Kairi rolled her eyes. Namine couldn't help but be caught up in the fun as well. Besides the gossip, she was genuinely curious if Roxas liked anyone. He talked to her about everything under the sun... Except for girls he liked.

"I've told you before Selph, there's nothing going on between me and Roxas," Kairi said nonchalantly. She was the queen of composure, this one. She quickly pressed play on the remote, but Selphie ignored the opening of the movie.

"Roxas is pretty cute, you know. You should go for it." Selphie winked, and Olette fell into a puddle of giggles. Kairi sighed.

Namine didn't quite know how to feel about the prospect of Kairi and Roxas. Yes, they'd be a cute couple, but they were both her best friends. She wondered if she'd become a third wheel, or even worse, the person they both went to for advice. She felt very protective of both of them, and if they were to break up... She couldn't choose between the two of them. She needed them both in her life.

Namine snapped out of her thoughts. She didn't need to worry about a relationship that hadn't even formed yet, and Kairi seemed to be fervently denying it. But she wondered how Roxas felt about it.

"Fine, fine... Okay Olette, who do you like!?" Selphie tried her next target.

"M-me!? I don't like anybody!"

"Oh my gosh, you sooo do, you're going all red!"

"No I'm not! Let's watch the movie!"

"Don't try to avoid the question!"

x-x-x

Namine sifted through her cd collection, the cases clattering together as she culled them. "How about something jazzy? Like a flapper couple's dance?"

Roxas shook his head. "Too much jazz. You said the dance would be more hip hop."

"It'll be more lyrical," Namine corrected, throwing another case in the rejected pile. "Okay, then... Mariah Carrey?"

The blonde boy crinkled his nose. "Unless you want to dance with my mum."

Namine sighed. "Single ladies?"

"Now you're just messing with me."

"Well, you've rejected every song I've suggested! And I will not be leaving this up to you. We need a perfect score." Namine sifted through her CDs like a mad woman, determined to find the perfect song for their partner dance.

Roxas sighed. "It's too hard to pick a song."

"It's not! We want to do an emotional, yet energetic piece. There are lots of good songs we could use."

"But they're all either romantic or cheesy or just... Weird." Roxas leaned on the couch of the rumpus room, feigning exhaustion.

Namine put her hands to her hips. "Are you saying I can't pull off romantic?"

Roxas shot up. "N-no! Not at all! You're amazing! It's me that'll ruin it." He slunk down, willing his crimson cheeks to disappear.

She giggled and rolled her eyes, but the mention of romance reminded her of something. "Hey, Roxas, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"Yeah?"

Namine bit her lip. "Are you... That is to say, do you like Kairi?"

Roxas' face contorted to one of horror. "No! No way, I do not like Kairi. You know, like that."

The blonde girl nodded slowly, wondering what was so repulsive about Kairi, but was relieved anyway. "Okay, I was just wondering. You know how Selphie's been trying to light the flame."

Roxas narrowed his eyes. "I'm gonna strangle that girl."

There was silence for a moment, and then Namine piped up again. "Would you tell me if you liked anyone?"

"Er..." Roxas froze. He wanted Namine to know he'd consider in her, but he couldn't tell her about his feelings, not now. "I mean, I'd tell you anything, Namine. Just like you'd tell me anything."

She smiled up at him. "Of course. So you really don't like anyone? I mean, I'm kind of glad you don't like Kairi."

"Really?" Roxas perked up. "Why?"

"Well you know, you both mean so much to me... I couldn't choose between you guys if you broke up." She explained, finally giving up on the CDs and putting in her warm-up track. "I dunno, I feel kind of protective of you, Roxas. Any girl who dates you has to go through me first."

Roxas chuckled nervously. "Guess I'll be single forever then."

"Hey!" Namine whacked him as the music started up. "Come on, let's get those muscles working!"

"Okay, okay. Thanks, though." He smiled at her as they stood side by side. "I want to protect you too. I'll be honest, I didn't think Sora was good enough for you." The words slipped out before he could stop them and he suddenly felt awkward.

"Really?" Namine asked, stopping her shoulder isolations. "But he's your best friend."

"True..." Roxas said carefully, following Namine's lead and stretching his shoulders. "But he can still be a dummy, as you know. You deserve someone... Who really knows what he's got when he has you. Who knows how amazing you really are."

Namine smiled widely, and Roxas couldn't help but wonder if the flush to her cheeks was from the dancing or a blush. "You're sweet, Roxas. Guess we'll both be single forever, huh?" She giggled as she began floor stretching.

Roxas couldn't help but sigh at the irony.


	13. Realisation

Thank you all again for the lovely reviews! Here's a (kind of) faster update for you all! We're over halfway through the story now - getting exciting! Enjoy!

x-x-x

Namine stepped into her evening ballet class with renewed vigour. Her talk with Sora had shifted something within her, and she could see her situation more clearly now, as if an onlooker watching the situation. She felt her priorities shifting back to what she loved most - her dancing, and her wonderful friends.

Selphie waved to the blonde as she entered the large dance hall. She seemed over-excited as usual. "Nam, Nam! Apparently Miss Stella has some big news!"

"Really?" Namine perked up as she put her ballet shoes on, already feeling her good fortune turning around. "I wonder what it is. Oh, I hope she's not pregnant! She's the best teacher we've ever had, she can't leave!"

Selphie shook her head with a giggle. "Miss Stella doesn't even have a boyfriend!"

Before they could debate any longer, the blonde teacher came out of the office with a big smile on her face. The girls quickly stood in a straight line. Selphie was bouncing on her heels in excitement, looking over at Namine and smiling widely. Namine swore she'd had an extra pound of sugar today.

"Okay girls, I have some great news today!" She wore a knowing grin and watched the girls gasp with excitement. "I've been watching you all very closely and I've been very impressed with your progress this year. I've decided that your class is ready..." She paused for theatrics, and Selphie let out a shriek. "... to move onto pointe shoes!"

The girls erupted in squeals of delight, jumping up and down and falling into big bear hugs. Namine and Selphie couldn't contain their excitement, jumping around as they hugged one another. Pointe shoes! Namine had been dreaming of this moment ever since she saw the beautiful ballerinas in the city when she was a little girl. To dance on their tip toes would be a whole new challenge, but it would be so exciting, and more importantly, a vital step in her dance career.

Stella giggled as she watched the girls scream with delight. "Come on ladies, we've got a lot to go through! We're gonna do lots of exercises to get you ready for your new pointe shoes." She probably expected the class to quieten down, but they only shrieked louder at the thought of new shoes.

Namine felt her heart racing throughout the rest of the class. She couldn't wait to drag her mum to the dance shop and buy her new shoes... The next step in her dance journey was about to begin. She could see herself on the Twilight City ballet stage, doing perfect turns in her pointe shoes. One day her dream would come true... For now, she had to give this, and her school dance classes, her all.

x-x-x

When Namine walked into school the next morning, she was hardly surprised to see Selphie excitedly handing out photos to all their friends. She had spent the night before posting every photo she took during city centre on every social media site imaginable. She had even tried to edit some of them in fancy ways, mostly likely practising for her photography class, but every time she did Tidus would make a comment about how ugly the filter was. As this thought crossed her mind, Namine saw Selphie whacking the blond boy over the back of his head before handing him an unfiltered photo. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Namine! Check out this cute photo!" Kairi ushered her over, handing her a photo of her and Namine hugging in the park. "New profile picture, or what?"

"No, this one's better!" Selphie pushed another photo in Namine's hand. It was one of the funnier photos of Kairi and Olette trying to get Hayner to smile.

"You gotta take that photo down!" Hayner piped up, his cheeks turning red. "It's embarrassing!"

"It wouldn't have been if you had just smiled!" Olette lectured the boy, to which he huffed and sat in his seat. It was a rare sight indeed to see Hayner sitting and waiting for class before anyone else.

"You're quite the photographer, Selph," Namine giggled, taking her share of photos from the girl. She flipped through them, smiling at the memories. She got to the group one and paused. Just like the swimming sports one, she was all over Sora. She felt so silly now, but she knew she was moving on, and that's all that mattered.

Miss Gainsborough and Mr. Caelum entered the room, and everyone found their seats. While the class was prepared, Namine noticed Selphie sticking a bunch of photos onto her school diary. She looked over and saw Sora teasing Hayner, and smiled to herself. Things were finally starting to feel like normal again. Although... She still couldn't help but wonder one thing. She watched Sora carefully for any clues as to who he might like. Was she in their class?

"Alright guys," Mr. Caelum boomed across the noisy room, "this is the last week to work on your city centre presentations. We're presenting your findings to your parents on Friday night, so I want to see you all practicing your speeches!"

Hayner eyed his group warily. "Guess we better start writing it, huh guys?"

"We're gonna wing our speech!" Tidus said casually, throwing his hands behind his head. This earned him another smack from Selphie. "Wah! What!?"

"We're gonna have a written speech, you doofus!" Selphie yelled, dragging Olette to the computers to finish their presentation. Tidus pouted sadly and Wakka just laughed.

"Okay, I think we should start writing ours, too," Kairi took the lead, "Namine, you're better with arty stuff, so you should work on finishing the presentation and making it look pretty."

"Okay!" Namine nodded. "And you guys can start working on the speech. Oh, is it okay if I go first? I'm a bit of a nervous speaker."

Hayner scoffed. "You want to be a professional dancer!"

"That doesn't require talking!" Namine poked her tongue out at the boy. "Alright, I'll head to the computers."

"I'll come with you," Roxas spoke up, and the two blondes made their way to the far side of the classroom. Olette, Selphie and Pence were working hard beside them, with Pence taking the reigns on the fancy animation effects.

After a while of working on the presentation, Namine started to glance back at the others. Okay, she was actually glancing at Sora. She was just so curious! Who did Sora like?

"Namine." She took a moment to register her name and flicked her head back to Roxas, who was staring at her. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Oh, um, yeah! Great idea, Roxas!" She looked at the screen and noticed nothing had been changed. "Er... I mean..."

Roxas chuckled. "It's okay. You've had a lot on your mind lately."

She nodded, biting her bottom lip. She hadn't told Roxas - or anyone - about her chat with Sora yet. It had been such a private thing and she wanted to keep the special moment all to herself forever. But Roxas had been such a wonderful support throughout this whole thing, so she felt she owed him an explanation.

She shuffled closer to him so Selphie, Olette and Pence wouldn't hear, though it was probably unnecessary because Selphie was being so loud. "Sora and I... We had a talk. He wanted to make sure things wouldn't be awkward between us. I knew it was my fault, but he really helped clear the air." She looked over at the brunette boy, working hard on his speech with Hayner and Kairi, and her heart didn't give its usual jolt. "I think... I think everything will be okay now."

Roxas couldn't help but smile over at Sora too. Even though he was upset about not being able to ask Kairi out, his friendship with Namine came first. And why shouldn't it? They had all been friends for so long, and though Namine was shy, she was often the glue that held the group together. Whenever Kairi and Selphie had a big fight, Namine would help to patch things up. She would always remember to organise surprises for all their birthdays, and she always had a smile on her face. She brought so much joy to the group.

That's why Roxas kept trying to convince himself that he should just concentrate on being her friend. He was so lucky to just have her in his life... Why wasn't that enough?

He realised he hadn't said anything and quickly smiled at her. "That's great, Nam. I can already sense that you two are friends again, you know."

"You can!?" Namine perked up.

"Of course!" Roxas smiled, and she swelled with joy, and even let out a small giggle.

"I'm glad. I just want to forget it ever happened." She sat in content for a moment, but then her eyes lit up and she turned back to him in excitement. "Oh! Guess what, Roxas!? Selphie and I are going on pointe shoes now! I'm so excited!"

Roxas had no idea what 'pointe shoes' even were, but it must've been a big deal because she was absolutely tickled pink. He loved the way she got so excited about her passions and talked openly about them. She didn't like showing others her artwork, and she didn't like public speaking, but strike up a conversation about dance and she suddenly became impassioned and confident. She looked adorable when she got worked up like this.

"You deserve it, Nam. You work so hard every day." He watched as his words made her smile even wider, and his heart sped up. "So, er, not to sound like a total idiot, but... What are pointe shoes?"

Namine shook her head with a confused smile. "You're so cute, Roxas." He could've died just then at those words. "It's when dancers go on their tippy toes. Not everyone has the strength to do it, but Miss Stella has trained us and thinks we're ready!"

Roxas was still flushing red at her words and could barely concentrate on the conversation. "That's amazing. Won't that hurt, though?"

"Not if you have the right shoes!" She nodded knowingly. "Selphie and I are going together to buy them."

"I can't wait!" Selphie suddenly squealed, having heard her name. She was so loud the whole class turned to her, and she sat down with blushing cheeks. "Whoops!"

The two blondes laughed and turned back to one another. Namine scrolled through the PowerPoint presentation and nodded. "Anyway, I think this is almost finished."

Roxas nodded too. "Cool, I'll add all our names on the last slide."

As Roxas started to type up their names, Namine heard laughing and turned back to where the rest of their group were. She couldn't see Hayner at first, then noticed that he'd ventured over to Pence, Olette and Selphie to spy on their presentation. The laughter had come from Sora and Kairi. They were laughing so hard Namine wondered what was so funny and wished she'd seen what happened. But then she noticed something else...

While Sora was laughing so hard he could hardly keep his eyes open, Kairi was looking up at him with admiration in her eyes. Pure happiness. Almost like the way Namine used to look at him. She was gently touching his arm as they laughed, wiping tears from her eyes, but never taking her eyes off him. Sora in turn leaned in close to her, and as the laughter died down they locked eyes with one another.

And just like that, Namine realised how stupid she'd been all along.

"Oh my gosh."

"What?" Roxas turned to her, and she realised she had whispered out loud. She quickly turned back to Roxas with confusion.

Her eyes darted back and forth, wondering what she should do. "I can't believe this... But since when...?"

Roxas lifted one eyebrow in confusion. "You okay...?"

Namine locked eyes with Roxas, wide and bulging. "I..."

But she couldn't talk about it here, with everyone around her. What if Selphie heard? Once she knew anything, it spread around the school like wildfire, and Namine was not ready for what she suspected to come true. She could hardly comprehend it.

She grabbed Roxas' arm. "Come with me." She called out to the others that they'd be right back, then got permission from Miss Gainsborough to go to the bathrooms. She dragged Roxas into the outdoor locker bays, out of sight from the glass door entrance of the classroom.

"What's wrong?" Roxas asked, suddenly worried.

Namine wrung her hands together nervously. "I think I know who Sora likes."

"You do?" Roxas said, a little surprised.

She nodded slowly. "It's Kairi."

Roxas tried to feign surprise, but at the same time, he was so relieved she'd figured it out.

"All this time," she said, talking more to herself than to Roxas, "all this time and I never realised! Sora likes Kairi... And Kairi likes Sora back! Why didn't I see it!? Kairi is always with Sora. She always talks about him. And last summer... Last summer! They were always together!" Namine slumped in on herself then, disappointment washing over her. "I'm the worst friend in the world. I never even realised how my best friends felt. And Kairi..." She looked up then, another realisation dawning on her. "She must've kept it a secret! When I told her I liked Sora, she was so supportive and yet SHE liked him!" She looked like she about to cry then, slapping her hands to her cheeks in shock. "I can't believe this! I can't believe this..."

She slumped against the lockers, as if exhausted by the new information. Emotionally exhausted, Roxas wanted to say.

"I've been so stupid," Namine said simply. "I was so hung up on Sora I didn't see the signs. They clearly like each other. Looking back... It all makes sense." She looked up at Roxas then, her gaze serious. "Roxas, did you know? Did you know Sora liked Kairi?"

Roxas swallowed loudly. All this time, he thought he was lying to protect her, to protect his other friends too... But would these lies end up hurting Namine? Should he tell her the truth? But if he lied with good intentions, was it really a bad thing?

He didn't want to find out.

"He never told me," Roxas shook his head.

Namine looked away. "I guess he wanted to wait until he told her. But then I came along and ruined everything." For a moment she sat in thought, and Roxas waited patiently, though it was more that he didn't really know what to say. Or perhaps, he was too afraid to say anything lest he spill the beans.

"I don't know if I'm ready yet. To see them together..." She said slowly, almost inaudibly, as if she was ashamed to say it. "Does that make me the most selfish person alive?" She slid down until she was sitting against a locker on the concrete floor, defeated.

Roxas sighed, and went down to sit next to her. "It's not selfish... What's important is that you said 'yet'. Which means you know one day you'll be ready. You can't always focus on others, Nam. Sometimes, you have to focus on yourself."

Namine shook her head. "But it feels like that's all I've been doing lately. Thinking of myself and how to make Sora like me. I never even stopped to consider his feelings or anyone else's."

"It's easy to do that when you like someone. You're so focused on them, everything else gets all fuzzy. But you've still be loyal to your friends, Nam. Did you forget? You helped me to get good at dancing. That's definitely not selfish." He turned to smile at her. "Especially me, the worst dancer in the world."

Namine smiled. At times she almost lost hope on him, but she never gave up, because she wanted him to succeed. She'd get mad at him for missing lessons because of drums, but she knew they meant the world to him. She even offered him private lessons, and they still got together once a week to practice, even on school holidays.

"I guess..." She sighed, almost admonishing all the praise. "You're definitely not the worst dancer in the world, though."

"Anymore," Roxas chuckled, and Namine finally cracked a smile.

"Alright, it's time to stop being selfish. When I'm ready... I'll tell Sora it's okay." Her smile widened then, thinking of how happy Kairi would be if it all worked out. "Thinking about it, they do seem perfect for each other. I think... I'll be happy to see them together."

Roxas couldn't help but feel so proud of Namine. "You're a great friend." He graced her with a warm smile, then stood and held out his hand. "Come on, before Mr. Caelum sends out a search party for us."

Namine smiled and took his hand.

x-x-x

Namine barely spoke for the rest of the day, her thoughts preoccupied with Sora and Kairi. The more she thought about it, the more she realised how many moments she'd misinterpreted. She'd waved off so many smiles, hugs and meaningful talks between the two as purely platonic, but now she could see them for what they truly were. And the more she thought about it, the more she smiled at how happy Sora could make Kairi.

As she entered the dance classroom with Selphie and Roxas, her thoughts focused onto dance once again. She and Selphie excitedly told Miss Lockhart about their pointe shoes, and she was beyond ecstatic for them. They did a run-through of So Stupid, of which about a minute of the song had been choreographed. So far most of the group were dancing in sync, but it was time to start bringing herself and Roxas into the limelight.

Roxas was turning a bright shade of red, which Namine guessed was from the rigorous dancing, but it definitely was not. Miss Lockhart had them dancing so close together, with the intention to make them look like lovers about to break up, that Roxas was cracking under the pressure.

"Now look into each other's eyes with burning passion! You're about to break up! You gotta really hold onto each other tight! That's it!"

Roxas thought he might pop from the embarrassment of it all.

Finally, they got to sit aside while Selphie worked on her solo part with Ventus, and he avoided all eye contact with Namine. His heart was beating so fast he felt like he was going to faint.

"You did great, Roxas!" She whispered beside him, and he jumped in surprise.

"O-Oh, yeah?"

"Mhm. Emotion is hard to capture in dance when you focus on the moves, but you're really getting the hang of it. You looked really sad at the break-up part!"

"Um, I'm glad..." Roxas wanted the floor to open up and suck him in. Being so close to Namine and having to role play romance was getting a bit too much for him.

"Excellent! One more run-through, everyone!"

Roxas groaned. If he had to gaze lovingly into Namine's eyes one more time he might have to run for the hills.

If going through the dance again wasn't enough, Roxas was about to get one more surprise. Everyone was collapsing to the floor, exhausted from the dance, and Miss Lockhart clapped.

"Excellent! It's looking fabulous! I know it's high-energy, but you're all nailing it. For the next part I have an ambitious idea..." She walked up to Namine and Roxas, with her hand tapping her chin thoughtfully. Roxas turned white.

"Do you two think you'll be able to do a lift?"

Roxas barely registered what she meant before Namine was dragging him off the floor, ready and raring to try it. "Wait, what!?"

"So after your last move, you're going to turn to Namine and she's going to run at you. You'll grab her by the waist and under her leg and lift her up." She ushered Namine close and began placing Roxas' hands in the correct position. "Just like this. Think you'll have the strength to lift her?"

"U-Um..." Words were failing Roxas, but everyone in the room was staring at them, so he decided to just give it a go. He swore his whole being shook as her tried to gently lift Namine up, but found she was quite easy to hold.

"Good! And Namine, you'll put your hand behind his neck and lift the other one up like this, then lift your head up dramatically."

Namine did just that, and Roxas looked up at her, trying his best to hold her steady. He tried not to think about how close they were right now.

"Ah, excellent! You both look the part! This is where they try to get back together and he feels betrayed. So let's try it with a run-up now."

Roxas let her down and she ran to the other side of the room, excited to try it. How exactly was he supposed to catch her!?

"Roxas, as she comes up, bend your knees to balance yourself and hold your arms out like this," She rearranged his arms again, "She'll get into position and then you'll just have to lift her up. Let's try it! Five! Six! Seven! Eight!"

Namine started to run towards him and he felt like time was coming to a standstill. How exactly had he gotten himself into this? Suddenly she was leaping towards him, but he found he didn't really need to do anything because Namine positioned herself perfectly in his arms, so he grasped her and lifted her up. The move did look spectacular, so much so the whole class clapped.

Miss Lockhart looked very pleased. "Fantastic, you two! The whole school is going to be talking about this dance for weeks! Alright, get a drink, everybody, and we'll go through it again."

Roxas collapsed to the floor to catch his breath. Before he could, though, Selphie jumped on him from behind with a giggle.

"You were so awesome, Roxas! Namine and I trained you a little too well."

Namine was gushing beside them. "I've always wanted to do a lift! But there were never any guys in our class at dance. This is going to be amazing!"

Roxas ruffled his hair sheepishly. Even though he was embarrassed beyond belief, he was happy he could make this dream a reality for Namine. "I'm just glad I caught you."

"If you ever drop her, you're dead meat," Selphie warned, mussing up his hair.

Namine shook her head. "I trust Roxas. I know he wouldn't do that."

"Geez, add to the pressure, much?" Roxas laughed, and the girls giggled along with him.

"Okay, let's go again!" Miss Lockhart called out.

Roxas sighed. He was going to be severely dehydrated by the end of this class if he kept sweating from the nerves. How was he going to survive this dance?


	14. Namine decides

Hello lovely readers! I'm so sorry for the long wait for this chapter! Life won't slow down lately and I can't find enough time for all of my favourite things. But never fear - I will continue this story to the end! To make up for it, I've given you a long chapter to enjoy!

Something super quick to clear up - for the sake of ease I've set this story to the same climate as where I live in Australia - as such, the school year runs from Jan - Nov and Winter marks the middle of the year, NOT Christmas. I'm sorry if that makes this harder for you guys to read, but hopefully it gives you a glimpse into an alternative mode for our favourite gang of dorks.

Thank you all for the lovely reviews - I can't tell you how much your kind words mean to me. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy this instalment!

x-x-x

Although Destiny Island was a tropical beachside area, winter still brought with it an icy wind and a bucketload of rain. Namine was just thankful that it didn't snow here - she couldn't stand the cold.

The group were currently loitering around their lockers, not too keen to go outside - the school had become a vast pool of muddy water, and the usual spot was soaked. Students ran with their jumpers over their heads and sought refuge under the many classroom verandas. Unfortunately, students weren't allowed to stay inside when it rained (except for the lucky year 12s). Namine thought back to primary school, where the class used to stay inside for a 'wet day timetable'. Why must high school be different?

Kairi and Selphie were spending as much time by their lockers as they could, and the others were gathered around to wait for them. The boys were jostling happily, but then Selphie gasped and jumped up and down in excitement.

"OH, you guys! You won't believe it! Roxas and Namine are doing a lift in dance!" She squealed, her hair bouncy despite the damp air. Roxas groaned and tried to hide behind Kairi's locker.

"Are you serious?" Hayner laughed, but Pence and Sora looked impressed. "Can you even lift her up?"

"What are you saying, Hayner?" Namine put her hands on her hips with a teasing expression. The light-haired boy scratched his head sheepishly.

"I'm not saying you're heavy, I'm saying Roxas is weak," he chortled, earning a mock punch from the boy in question.

"I totally beat you at the last struggle competition!" Roxas pouted. Namine couldn't help but giggle at his expression.

"So do you get to do anything special, like spin her around?" Olette asked.

"N-No!" Roxas spluttered, hardly comprehending how anyone could spin a person while dancing. It was bad enough that he had to hold her so close to him while he was forced to stare into her eyes...

"I think it's cute," Kairi giggled, "and super romantic."

The implication of her statement was lost on the boys, but Namine noticed both Olette and Selphie raise their eyebrows in thought. "J-Just because it's a romantic song!" Namine explained. Roxas caught Kairi's eye and rolled his own in exasperation.

"You'd better not drop her, Roxas," Sora piped up then, teasing the blonde. "If you do, Hayner, Pence and I will beat you up." They laughed and Namine sighed. Sometimes she felt like she was surrounded by big brothers.

"I won't drop her!" Roxas pouted. "I'm strong enough to handle it."

"Pft, strong? With these scrawny things?" Hayner jabbed at Roxas' biceps, earning another chuckle from the boys.

"I trust Roxas," Namine said, putting an end to their banter. Roxas smiled down at her and they shared a moment of eye contact. It sent a jolt of nerves through his body. Why did a simple gaze make him so nervous? He'd never get over her at this rate...

"You shouldn't," came a new voice from behind them. Suddenly, Axel's arms were sprawled over the two blondes. "Roxie here couldn't even lift a bowling ball when he was a kid."

Roxas stared vacantly into space and the rest of the group laughed. "I'm so glad you're here to share more childhood stories, Axel."

Namine couldn't help but giggle. She took a moment to look at all the smiling faces around her, including Sora's. She truly didn't feel sad anymore. Finally, things felt just like before... And somehow it was even better than ever.

Just as Axel began sharing more embarrassing stories about Roxas, everyone heard a throat clearing from behind them. Mr. Leonheart was standing tall with a merciless stare.

"You guys know you shouldn't be inside..." He warned, but Kairi and Selphie quickly put on their best innocent face.

"We're not finished at our locker yet, sir! I'm having trouble finding my fork," Selphie giggled mischievously, and held up her tupperware container of fruit for good measure. Namine knew Mr. Leonheart had a soft spot for their group, even though he didn't like to show it. He had watched them grow from scared new high schoolers into who they were now. He was stern and cold on the outside, but he was actually a really fun teacher.

"And do you really need the help of eight of your friends to find it?" He asked with his usual dull tone. Namine always wondered where he got the tiny scar of his face, but was of course too scared to ask.

"Don't you remember how much you drilled us about teamwork in year 7?" Pence quipped, and the troupe collectively chuckled. Mr. Leonheart groaned.

"Are you hassling the kids again, Squall?" came a teasing voice from behind them. Mr. Fair slapped his colleague on the shoulder and smiled. The be-scarred teacher narrowed his eyes.

"Don't call me that," he said quietly, and the group couldn't hide their sniggers. When he gave a glare to his students, there was a collective 'eep!' before they finally scurried outside. Yup, Namine thought, things were definitely back to normal.

Expect perhaps one little thing, she reminded herself, watching Kairi and Sora from the corner of her eye.

x-x-x

That evening, Namine and Selphie were working extremely hard in their ballet class. Now that it was halfway through the year, the dance school had begun putting together choreography for the end of year concert. Namine's class was banding together with the other ballet classes for one big dance sequence, to music from 'Cinderella'. All the pointe students were dancing to the ballroom song, while the juniors would be the adorable mice that helped Cinderella. It had only been a few weeks since they started pointe, but Namine was already loving the challenge.

She watched as one of the older girls practiced her solo part for her role as Cinderella. The only senior boy in the entire school was of course playing the role of the prince. Namine wished they had a boy in their class... Then at least she might have had some experience doing a lift with a boy. Though she was excited about her lift with Roxas, she couldn't help but remember his mortified expression.

"I love that we're doing Cinderella!" Selphie whispered as another of the senior students practiced her role as the fairy godmother. "It's so romantic!"

"It's my favourite fairytale," Namine agreed, watching the junior girls prance about the room and pretending to have mice tails. It was true; the tale of Cinderella had been her favourite since she was a little girl. She loved how the prince tried so hard to find his true love, and how it had been love at first sight...

Suddenly, Sora and Kairi popped into her head. She found herself thinking of how similar they were to the fairytale couple. Sure, there were no glass slippers or adorable mice involved, but at the end of the day... They seemed perfect for each other. Namine kept having flashbacks to their summer holidays and before city centre, to every time she saw the two sharing a totally unplatonic moment together. She couldn't believe how blatantly she had ignored it now.

"Namine," Selphie whispered as she tapped the blonde on the shoulder. Namine quickly snapped out of her thoughts and realised she missed their cue to begin dancing. She quickly caught up and focused on keeping her feet perfectly straight in her pointe shoes.

The junior girls watched in awe. "They look sooo pretty on their tippy toes," one of the littlest ballet girls whispered, and Namine beamed. She couldn't wait to show off her new skills at the end of year concert.

During the dance, the two seniors joined and Stella reminded them to look like they were in love. The junior girls giggled, and Namine once again thought of her two best friends.

In the end, she wanted them to be happy... And now that it had been a few weeks, she felt like she could handle it. At the last beat of the ballroom song, Namine made her decision.

x-x-x

Namine suddenly felt like she was in the past - she was running around all over the place, trying to find Sora and steal a private moment with him. But instead of confessing, she was trying to find him for a very different reason.

Unfortunately, the boy was becoming increasingly difficult to pull aside. The school year was becoming more busy and stressful, with exams looming and sports events at the forefront. The boys' were practising more basketball at lunch time to get ready for the inter-school rounds, and pulling Sora away from his favourite sport was out of the question. Class time was also impossible - Mr. Caelum was prepping the students hard for their first 'serious' exams and encouraging students to take on specialist subjects next year. Everyone was beginning to feel the pressure and longed for the dreary winter months to be over. The gang didn't hang out after school much, rushing home to avoid the cold. So the chilly days slipped by and Namine didn't manage to snatch a private moment with Sora.

That was, until Selphie's birthday party.

"Oh my gosh, you guys look amazing!" She squeaked as she welcomed Kairi, Namine and Olette inside her house. Once in the entrance hall, everyone shrugged out of their coats to reveal brightly coloured outfits - Selphie had chosen to have a rainbow party for her 15th birthday. Of course, to her it was an excuse to get everyone to dress up colourfully during the drab months of winter, and it had worked really well. There were no dark clothes in sight and everyone went all out - Zidane had even turned up in rainbow suspenders and brightly striped socks, which made everyone laugh. Selphie herself was wearing a dress with pastel purples, blues and pinks and had glammed out to the max.

"Okay guys, the party is this way!" Selphie guided the girls out the back and into the garage, which had been transformed into a party scene, complete with banners, a food table, music, balloons and space to dance. Everything was decked out in pastel rainbow hues and pop music blared from the sound system.

Namine sucked in a breath. She knew this was a chance to relax from the daily grind of school and dance, but she still had Sora in the back of her mind and she needed to deal with it sooner rather than later. It was gnawing at her thoughts and making her feel guilty, especially every time she saw him talking to Kairi.

Everyone began to mingle - Selphie had invited almost the entire class (bar Seifer and his gang, of course) and they excitedly chatted, ate and mingled. Selphie had underestimated the forty-strong class and the garage simply wasn't big enough for the entire group, so the living room was also filled with people. It was the biggest party Namine had ever been to - she'd already lost sight of Sora.

By the food table, Roxas and Kairi were having a discussion of their own.

"So you're just going to give up?" Kairi sighed, nibbling on a sausage roll.

Roxas stared off to the side at the rainbow cupcakes. "I know she's moving on from Sora, but it still means she doesn't like me. I don't want to confuse her or wreck our friendship." He lowered his voice as he spoke, but it was unnecessary - the garage was filled with music and excited, rainbow-clad teenagers.

"I know..." Kairi chewed on her bottom lip. "It just seems like you two are meant for each other."

"What, just because she yelled at me in year 7 and we became best friends?" Roxas shrugged, and the redhead gave him a dubious look. He sighed, tucking at the bright rainbow tie he was wearing. "I thought so too... But I really think we should just stay friends. It's easier that way for everyone." He could see a protest about to escape from her lips, so he quickly turned the subject around. "What about you? Are you going to give up on Sora?"

Kairi pouted. "We've talked about this, Roxas. Sora likes someone already. Who knows if it's me..." She lit up in a teasing manner. "Maybe you could get it out of him...?"

"I already told you, he won't tell me," the blonde shook his head, knowing the truth all too well. It was the last white lie he had to hold onto from this mess - after all, it wasn't his place to tell her. Still, the knowledge did frustrate him somewhat and he wished he could just push the two together.

"It's fine," Kairi waved a hand, "It wouldn't be right anyway, with Namine still getting over him. I couldn't do that to her." She said this truthfully, but Roxas could see the reproachful expression she wore.

"You know-"

"Game of spin the bottle in the living room!" Wakka suddenly called out, bursting into the garage. There were a few squeals of embarrassment and some excited jeers, and most of the party goers went inside.

"I bet Selphie's excited," Roxas sniggered to himself, and when Kairi questioned him he feigned ignorance. Okay, maybe he had just one more secret, but this one was a lot easier to keep.

x-x-x

Although most of the guests gathered for the game, Namine still couldn't find Sora. She watched with curiosity as Olette strategically sat in the circle, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Selphie was right - that girl had a crush on somebody. She wanted to stay and try to figure out who it was, but she had to talk to Sora before she exploded from the suspense.

Finally, she spotted him chatting with Riku and Axel, who had also been invited. They were standing in the kitchen, away from the noise - and close to the freshly cooked food Selphie's mum was making.

"I see you guys picked the prime spot to party," Namine joked as she walked up to the trio. They all sniggered, and Axel put a finger to his lips.

"Shh, everyone'll come over!" He winked cheekily and popped a mini pie in his mouth.

"Plus this is a great place to watch the spin the bottle action," Riku pointed out, and Namine turned to see Zidane happily leaning forward for a kiss from Garnet. Unfortunately for him, she pushed him away and left the circle, embarrassed. "Ooh-hoo-hoo, burn!"

Namine rolled her eyes, feeling sorry for the poor girl. "Well, I hate to break up this little party, but I was wondering if I could borrow Sora?"

Sora lit up and smiled. "Sure thing, I can't take too much of these two for very long anyway."

"Psh, that's a lie," Riku sniggered, "you wouldn't leave my side for the entirety of primary school."

"Shut up, Riku!" Sora laughed and pushed his best friend away. He gave a good natured nod to Namine and followed her to a more secluded spot, in Selphie's bedroom.

"Geez, could that wall get any pinker?" Sora commented, covering his eyes from the bright feature wall.

"Yeah, it's a bit intense," Namine laughed, but it was forced - she was suddenly nervous. She knew she was getting over him, knew that it was all for the best - but being here, alone with him, noticing the warmth in his eyes as he looked down at her, she couldn't help but feel hesitant.

 _I've made up my mind. I have to do this._

"Is everything okay?" Sora opened, feeling the awkward but not uncomfortable silence between them.

Namine jumped at his cue with vigour. "Yeah... Actually, everything is okay. Even better. Everything is great." She nodded with a knowing smile. "I wanted to tell you that. That I'm okay. And... There's something else."

Sora cocked his head curiously and waited for her explanation.

The blonde girl sucked in a deep breath, wishing the colourful dress she'd worn wasn't so tight around the waist. "I... I know you like Kairi."

Sora's face instantly morphed into one of shock and embarrassment. He spluttered and rubbed his neck. "H-How do you...?"

Namine smiled at his increasingly crimson cheeks. "I guess I just figured it out. The way you look at her, and this past summer... I can't believe I didn't notice it before, actually. Anyway..." She could see Sora was at a loss for words. "I want you to know that... I'm okay... with you asking her out."

Silence. Sora dipped his head forward slightly, as if he didn't hear right, his face contorting into confusion. "Really...?"

Namine smiled at the way his lips quivered at the edges, fighting against a smile. "Really. I want you to ask her out. I'm ready. I'm moving on. And... I want you both to be happy."

"Namine..." Sora let out a breath of disbelief, shaking his head. "That's really nice... But I don't even know if she likes me back."

His plight was met with a blank look from Namine. "Come on, Sora, she definitely likes you back. Besides... Don't you want to find out?"

Sora stared at her for a moment, but his look of confusion soon changed to one of nervous excitement. He nodded. "Yeah... I do."

Suddenly, the muffled sound of yells and cheers came from the living room; Namine wondered if Olette had snagged that dream kiss.

"Namine... Thank you. You're seriously okay with this?" He asked once more, just to be sure, but she nodded happily. "You're the best, Nam. You know that?" He leaned in to hug her and she reciprocated hesitantly. She closed her eyes and breathed in his earthy scent, feeling an explosion of mountainous emotion. Nervousness, apprehension, forlorn... But she was also happy.

They broke apart and Namine almost felt her heart burst at his smile - bursting at the seams with happiness. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Namine..." Sora paused, still flabbergasted, "I really don't know what to say..."

She shook her head, not wanting to dwell on it any longer. "C'mon, we're missing the party. Selphie will be mad if we miss out on the group photo."

Sora chuckled. "You're right. Let's go."

x-x-x

The two teens bounced down the hallway. Sora had a spring in his step as he headed for the garage, but he did falter somewhat when he passed Kairi, who was chatting with Selphie. His face contorted into all sorts of weird expressions as he hid his excitement. Namine went to join them, and Sora headed into the garage to find Roxas by the food table.

"Geez Roxas, stop eating all the food," Sora teased, grabbing a rainbow cupcake and licking the icing, a wide smirk across his face.

Roxas rolled his eyes, but he quickly realised that his brunette best friend looked like he just won the lottery. He narrowed his eyes. "What's with that face?"

"What face?" Sora said innocently, gobbling down the rest of his cupcake.

"That face," Roxas pointed, "your smile is wider than when you beat Riku around the island. What's up?"

Sora couldn't help but let his smile burst even wider. "I can ask Kairi out!"

"Shh!" Roxas clamped Sora's mouth shut, but the rest of their friends were too preoccupied on the dance floor to hear his outburst. Selphie had just dragged Olette into the garage and was begging her to belt out her favourite song with her.

Sora chuckled, pushing Roxas' hands away. "I'm sorry, I'm just so excited!"

"Whoa Sora, rewind. Since when can you ask her out?" Roxas said in an urgent whisper.

"Namine said she was okay with it," he smiled, his brunette spikes bouncing with his excited movements. "I couldn't believe it. She's such a good friend."

Roxas blinked, realising Namine had made her decision - a little faster than he anticipated. He felt a sudden array of emotions; pride at her loyalty and strength, happiness for Sora and Kairi... And the faintest hint of hope that she really was over Sora.

He cracked a smile at his best friend. "That's awesome! So what now? Are you gonna ask her out right now?"

Sora spluttered. "Are you kidding!? There's no way I'd be prepared. Besides, Selphie would murder me for stealing the focus of her party," he laughed, and Roxas couldn't help but agree. She would bury him alive for stealing her thunder. "I'll come up with something. But I'm not asking for your help this time - you were completely useless last time!"

"Hey! Maybe I didn't come up with any ideas then, but I could have a tone now!" The blonde puffed up his cheeks in indignation, and Sora pinched them. "Hey!"

"Sure, Roxas. Anyway, I'll think of something. What about you, though?"

Roxas looked confused, trying to ignore Selphie's terrible singing from the dance floor. "What about me?"

Sora raised his eyebrows as if his best friend was stupid. "Namine is moving on. This is the perfect time to swoop in and tell her!"

"Uh, no way," Roxas looked away, turning pink. "It's only been a couple months. Besides, we both know she doesn't like me. Why would she change her mind?"

Sora took another cupcake from the stand, and Roxas had to wonder if his earlier comment was just a cover-up for his own gluttony. "I know she might not change her mind, but... There's a possibility. Don't you want to find out?" He asked, echoing Namine's own words.

Roxas sighed, trying not to let that glimmer of hope get any larger. "I don't know. Let's just worry about your love life for now, okay?"

"Who's love life!?" Selphie suddenly jumped between the two boys. "Hey, who's eating all the cupcakes!?"

Sora immediately stopped chewing and hid his second wrapper behind his back. "I'unno."

Roxas chuckled. Trust Selphie to be the perfect segue from this conversation. He quickly slipped away while Selphie accused Sora of being a pig.

x-x-x

Roxas headed into the living room to find Namine. Although he knew her resolve was coming, he still wanted to make sure she was okay. He found her chatting with Kairi, Axel and Riku in the kitchen.

"Roxie! Join the kitchen club!" Axel called out to his childhood friend. "You get piping hot food on demand!" He grabbed another dim sim from the platter that Selphie's mum was about to take to the guests, and she smiled knowingly.

"Is that why I haven't seen you all night?" Roxas teased, then took a fleeting glance at Namine. She looked happy enough chatting with the others, but she was pretty good at feigning emotion. He supposed it came with her acting skills from dancing.

"Guys! We're cutting the cake soon!" Selphie called out from the sliding door, giggling as she rushed back to the garage. Everyone began to head into the cramped room.

"Ooh, more food!" Axel quickly sauntered off and everyone followed, but Roxas quickly grabbed Namine by the arm and she looked back in confusion.

"Sora told me," he half whispered, being careful not to alert Kairi. "Are you okay?"

Namine gave a weak smile and face him fully. "I think so... I knew it was something I had to do. I think it'll be okay..."

But her voice wavered somewhat and Roxas wasn't convinced. "It's okay to still be sad about it, Nam. Don't forget that."

Namine didn't say anything (hesitation?), she just nodded and smiled up at him again.

Roxas smiled down at her, hoping to placate her a bit. "Alright, let's hurry. Selphie will be shouting for us any-"

"NAMINE! ROXAS! WHERE ARE YOU!?"

"... Any minute now," he finished with a huff, and Namine giggled.

"Let's go before she gets worse," she smiled, and they snaked their way to the front of the group for photos with the birthday girl.


	15. Loose Lips

Hello lovelies! Here's a much faster update to make up for that three month hiatus! Things are about to get very interesting at Destiny High… Also, I hope you guys don't mind the cheesiness of having High School Musical as the school production. It was the production at my own school when I was in year 9, so I thought it would be cute to include.

Thank you again for your lovely reviews, and enjoy!

x-x-x

"Okay Roxas, it's time to get serious."

The boy in question found himself looking up at Naminé's stern expression. He was perched on the couch in her rumpus room, having only just arrived for their private dance lesson. There were CDs scattered all over the floor, and Naminé also had her tablet open to Spotify. He raised his eyebrows at her. "Er, Naminé…? Since when has dancing _not_ been serious?"

Naminé rolled her eyes and smacked the blonde boy over the side of his head with a rolled up piece of homework. "It's already term three and we haven't chosen a song for our duet! Do you have any idea how serious this is!?"

Roxas couldn't help but smirk. "For a normal person? Mildly concerning. For you? Oh dear god the world is ending."

This sass earned him an extra smack. She sighed dramatically before scrolling through a playlist on her tablet. He saw that she'd named it 'Duet ideas'.

"Okay, I've narrowed it down for you, but you have to help me pick. We both have to enjoy dancing to this song because we'll be repeating it a _lot_ ," she reminded matter-of-factly, but she was smiling. He knew she was excited about this. "So I'll play some tracks and we'll work in the choreography we've already started. Ready? Let's go!"

What happened next was something Roxas couldn't quite describe. As they went through the songs and added their own moves, hilarity ensued – some songs were too fast to match their pace and they toppled over. Some were so catchy they just ended up lip-synching the songs and falling into fits of laughter. One song was too slow so Roxas started doing the moves in slow-mo, making Naminé double over with giggles. They were having the best time – and it was a feeling he couldn't quite pinpoint. He didn't know if the music was elevating the emotion, but he felt like he was in a daze, and his idea of getting over Naminé flew out the window during those songs. Just the two of them, mucking around and singing and dancing – it was the last thing he had imagined doing with her at the start of the year, but it was perfect.

After sifting through the whole playlist, the two teens decided on '4 Minutes' as their duet song. It was the perfect blend for the two, with lyrics from both a male and female artist perfect for a bit of dance roleplay. Naminé made sure to incorporate some of Roxas' favourite hip hop moves and made them work well with the song – their blend of synced moves and individual flair made the dance high-energy and exciting.

"Phew!" Naminé sank to the floor for the umpteenth time to stop the music. "I think it's working really well. We're on our way to a great score!"

Roxas smiled, leaning back on his arms as he breathed deeply. "After seeing what you can do, I'm sure Miss Lockhart will barely be watching. She'll just mark us a 100 and move on."

Naminé pulled a look of disbelief and he chuckled heartily. "Don't make me whack you again," she giggled, then sunk down to the floor to check her phone. She scrolled through her social media apps and smiled at Selphie's… well, selfie, of her pouting over her homework. Then she saw a post from Kairi… she and Sora were posing for a photo and eating sea salt ice cream inside their favourite parlour. She felt her heart hammer and she started to twirl her hair between her fingers.

"What's wrong?" Roxas asked, noticing her usual nervous habit. She looked back at him with hesitance in her eyes.

"Oh, nothing… it's just Sora and Kairi. See?" She held up her phone as proof. Roxas gave a sympathetic smile, but all the happiness from their previous fun seemed to wash away in that moment.

"You think he'll ask her out soon?" He asked.

"Maybe…" She sighed, studying the photo. "They do make a cute couple, don't you think?"

"Maybe," he echoed her. _We'd make a cuter couple_ , he thought listlessly.

Naminé put her phone to the side. Out of sight, out of mind, she supposed. "I did the right thing... I know I did. I'm just being stupid."

Roxas shook his head. "But did you do the right thing by _you_? Were you ready?"

She bit her lip uncertainly. "I thought I was. Sometimes I don't even know anymore. But… I _want_ to be. And… I will be." She nodded then, the certainty back in her eyes. "They're meant for each other. I know he'll make her so happy."

Roxas shook his head despite himself. "You really are amazing, Nam."

She stood then, ready for another round of dance. "Maybe, but you're also amazing for helping me through all this." She reached out for his hand to pull him up. "Thank you, Roxas."

He took her hand and stood, reminding himself to get back to reality. All that dancing back there… she only saw that as friendship. He didn't know why it was so hard to get it out of his head. He didn't know why he couldn't just stick to his resolve and forget about his feelings.

"Don't mention it. Let's go through the dance once more."

x-x-x

Sora was having problems of his own. It was after school on a mild Friday afternoon, and the drama theatre was empty. But Sora's head was buzzing with thoughts – thoughts of Kairi.

He thought wistfully of the dream date he had organised during city centre. He wondered if he could recreate it somehow – but how would he get the two of them to the city? Surely she'd realise it was a date? Maybe he should take Roxas' advice and ask her out during the Create Festival… but that was so far away, and he wanted to shout his confession from the rooftops at this point. No, he wanted it to be as soon as possible… but he wanted it to be meaningful. After all, this was Kairi! She meant the world to him… he would do anything for her. So how could he make it special…?

He paced the room, ignoring the script left haphazardly by his feet. He had spent the week nailing his lines with his redhead compatriot, and Miss Lockhart had been very impressed with their work. Sora had lost count of how many times he got lost in Kairi's gaze as she acted, though, and he knew he wouldn't be able to concentrate until he just told her the truth.

He let out a long, drawn out sigh. "I should just tell her…!"

"Tell her what?" Came a voice from the doorway. Sora turned and almost tripped on his own feet – Kairi was standing there with a curious expression. She giggled at his shocked expression. "You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of craziness…"

Sora laughed nervously, running his hands through his brunette locks. "Aha, I guess I've been practicing too hard…"

"Well I hope not," Kairi started, and Sora noticed she had her script in her hand, "I was hoping we could finally get that practice time in!"

"Oh," Sora faltered for a moment, wondering why she had suddenly had a change of heart. It was Kairi that had rejected every offer he made to her for extra practice… before Naminé revealed her feelings, that was. But now… "Of course! Not that you need the extra practice, but I sure do."

Kairi shook her head with a smile. "You're so silly, Sora. Let's start from the locker scene, okay?"

They began to read their lines, trying not to use their scripts and remember as much as possible. Although Kairi was still sensitive to Naminé's feelings, she knew she couldn't avoid Sora forever – they really did need to practice for the show. The entire school would be seeing it! Besides, she was beyond proud of Naminé's progress – she was definitely getting back to her old self, and she didn't even act weird around the brunette boy anymore. Surely it wouldn't hurt to hang out with him? She even felt bad about getting ice cream with him the other day, but she knew Naminé was dancing with Roxas. She hoped the blonde boy was at least trying to get across his feelings to her.

Before the two teens knew it, they had recited all the way up until the final scene. They stopped to get a drink and rest, so they sat atop the stage, their legs dangling over the edge. There was a comfortable silence between the two as they enjoyed each other's company… a comfort Sora knew all too well.

He was teasing her in a quiet tone about her role as the nerd and she was giggling in return, and Kairi knew the tension in the air was palpable. Every second they were together, she felt more and more compelled to believe her gut feeling was true…

"So… do you think we could practice more often?" She asked then, focusing on her dangling legs.

"Of course," Sora said immediately, with that usual cheer in his voice. That's what Kairi loved most about him – his inexhaustible cheer, his indomitable will. He never failed to put a smile on her face. "I've really wanted to for a while… but I wasn't sure, you know…"

Kairi bit her lip nervously. "Yeah… I just had some stuff I needed to work out first." She wondered if Sora knew that Naminé must have told her about him. Maybe he thought it was just between the two of them?

Sora was staring into her eyes now, unabashedly. "It's okay. You're worth the wait…" He let the words slip before he could stop them, and Kairi's eyes bulged. What exactly did he mean by that? Her heart fluttered at the possibilities. Sora looked away suddenly, his cheeks ablaze…

He was thinking… no, he was deliberating. They were sitting so close, their thighs grazing each other's ever so slightly, their faces kissing-distance apart. She was looking away shyly, almost guiltily. He wanted the reveal to be special, but at the same time… he just wanted to do it right here, right now. But could he? Was this really the right time? _Was_ there a right time? He didn't think he could wait another second to tell her. Despite all his failed plans, all his grand schemes… he really just wanted to tell her that… that…

He did it. He turned to her with a glazed expression. "I don't just mean for drama, Kairi."

Her breath hitched in her throat, and no matter how much she wanted to turn away to collect herself, she couldn't tear her gaze away from his eyes. He was so serious… so… passionate. "Oh…?" was all she could muster, and she mentally slapped herself for her terrible comeback, but she couldn't dwell on it for long – because Sora closed the distance between them and captured her lips with his own.

He leaned in close, gently pressing her back towards him as he repositioned his lips against hers, fitting them snuggly. All his worries about an awkward kiss washed away – it felt so right to be this close to her, to feel her warm breath against his cheek, to feel her soft lips moving carefully – timidly – against his. He deepened the kiss, never wanting it to end, never wanting to let her go – but finally he pulled back and both teens gasped slightly. Sora couldn't help it – he cracked the biggest grin imaginable because this was everything he'd wanted and more, despite it not being planned perfectly. Kairi couldn't help but smile too, and they both let out a small chuckle.

"Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to do that?" Sora whispered, nuzzling his face against hers, meeting forehead to forehead. Kairi closed her eyes, breathing in his familiar scent, and sighed contently.

"Kind of," she said with a knowing smile, and Sora replied with a flutter of kisses to her lips and cheeks. She couldn't help but let herself become giddy with happiness. Her gut feeling had been true... For so long, they had timidly exchanged moments of tumultuous flirting, but finally she knew. Her entire being was exploding with tingles. They shared another kiss, but through it all Kairi could barely stop smiling. All her wishes for her future with Sora were becoming a reality.

They didn't know how long they'd spent in the drama theatre until the cleaner came in to vacuum – they quickly scurried out, red-faced and giddy and absolutely in love.

x-x-x

Kairi arrived at Naminé's house early on Saturday morning, armed with a tupperware container of her grandma's yummiest passionfruit tartlets. She had barely slept the night before – the early hours had been filled with Sora's hushed voice through her phone. It was like the pieces had finally fallen together and they were where they were meant to be this entire time. But one conversation stayed at the forefront of her mind…

" _I think… I should talk to Naminé about all this."_

" _You know?"_

" _Yeah, she told me."_

" _Mm. I wasn't going to do anything about us… but…."_

 _Kairi cut him off, understanding - the heat of the moment was something even she couldn't resist. "Don't worry, I'll talk to her about it."_

 _Sora didn't answer for a moment… was he deliberating something? "Er, I think there's something you should know…"_

" _Don't worry, Sora. I actually kind of saw her confessing to you. That's why I was avoiding you… but I'll set all this straight."_

 _She heard him chuckle – was he hiding something? "Alright. Let me know how it goes, okay?"_

A quick text to her blonde best friend told her she was free to hang out, and Kairi was thankful. In truth, it was all she could think about at the moment. She wanted things to be just right… for everyone involved. She knew she couldn't be completely happy with Sora if it made her best friend suffer.

She didn't hesitate as she knocked on the door and was greeted by a familiar face. The two girls headed to the rumpus room, and promptly claimed the couch to gorge on the tartlets.

"Your grandma didn't have to do this," Naminé was shaking her head, but she wore a grin from ear to ear as she gobbled down the treats. "I mean, she's more than welcome to!" she giggled as she took another bite.

"What's a get-together without grandma's cooking?" Kairi laughed, taking a bite herself, but she chewed with much less vigour. "Okay, Nam… I have some pretty big news."

Naminé swallowed quickly, noting her serious tone. "Oh…? What is it?"

Kairi sucked in a deep breath. "Okay… Um… Well…" She hadn't exactly planned out this conversation beforehand, but perhaps she should have. "Last night, I was practicing my lines with Sora… and… what…?"

Kairi faltered as Naminé's eyes widened, realisation dawning upon her. To her surprise, the blonde girl's lips quirked up into a smile. "Did he… ask you out!?"

Kairi blinked dumbly. "Um… yes…? But…?"

Naminé dropped her tartlet. "You said yes, right!?"

"Wait a minute, why are you getting excited!?" The redhead spluttered. Why wasn't she sad or angry?

Naminé flapped her hands in a very Selphie-like fashion. "Well I- I figured it out! I knew Sora liked you! That's why I told him… to ask you out!"

"You _told_ him to!?" Kairi repeated, feeling like an absurd parrot, but she truly didn't know what else to say – Naminé had told him? Actually encouraged him, even though she was getting over him? "But… why? Aren't you still…?"

Naminé shook her head. "When I realised he liked you… I also realised that you liked him too." She took a deep breath to calm her excitement, feeling the conversation turn serious. "I mean, all those moments between you two… there was something more. And… I'm sorry I didn't see it for what it really was. I was so focussed on getting him to like me that I didn't even notice he only had eyes for you. And I didn't even notice your feelings…" She looked down, shame washing over her. "I'm sorry."

" _You're_ sorry?" Kairi's eyes bulged even further if possible. "I'm the one who lied to you about my feelings!"

"But you were only doing it to protect me!" Naminé reasoned.

"But if I had've just told you the truth you might not have gotten hurt!"

"But if I didn't get rejected you two might not have gotten together!"

The two girls realised their reasoning was absolutely crazy – and they fell into fits of giggles.

"Oh Nam – I'm sorry we had to go through this mess," Kairi finally said as the laughter died down. "All you did for me… you're truly the best friend I could ask for."

Naminé reached forward and pulled Kairi into a tight hug. "You're the best friend I could ask for! You supported me even though you liked Sora… Oh!" She pulled back, the excitement back in her voice. "I'm so happy you two are finally together! How did it happen? Tell me everything!"

They spent the rest of the morning discussing last night's make-out session in a play-by-play fashion, while eating every last passionfruit tartlet and filling the room with laughter. Kairi was so happy the truth was finally out, and Naminé was bursting with pride… she was genuinely happy for the two, and that was all she wanted.

x-x-x

Monday arrived, and Naminé suddenly had second doubts about her resolve.

"Guys, we have some news…" Sora announced to the group, having just walked up to the usual spot with Kairi. Everyone looked up with interest. Sora hesitated for a moment, rubbing his neck sheepishly.

"Well, what is it?" Hayner asked impatiently, nibbling on a protein bar.

"W-well…" Sora decided words wouldn't cut it, so he simply reached down and grabbed Kairi's hand. She blushed madly. There was silence for a moment, and then a familiar sound filled the air – the long, drawn-out gasp of a surprised Selphie.

"OH MY GOSH! YOU GUYS ARE DATING!?" She jumped from her spot and the lamingtons that were in her lap toppled to the dirt, but she was too busy squealing and jumping to notice. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! THIS IS SO EXCITING!"

Naminé giggled, knowing Selphie's idea of Kairi and Roxas was definitely out the window now. She watched everyone's reactions: Olette smiled widely and jumped up too, joining the girls in a group hug; Pence nodded his head proudly, as if Sora was his kid brother; Hayner pulled the most grotesque face he could muster.

Roxas looked over at her with a slight panic in his expression, but as soon as he saw Naminé smiling and joining the group hug, he knew she was confident in her decision.

"Whyyyy?" Hayner finally drawled, and everyone turned to him. "Why didja have to go and get a girlfriend? Now everything will be ruined!"

"Hayner, grow some balls and get over it," Selphie quipped, causing the entire group to fall into 'oooh's' and hysterics. Hayner turned red with embarrassment and crossed his arms like a sulking child.

"Don't worry Hayner, things won't change. It's not like we're disappearing or anything," Sora smiled, but the light-haired boy continued to scowl.

"This is so exciting! When did it happen?" Olette asked, causing Hayner to groan again. Sora and Kairi quickly told the story of how they'd always liked each other and finally confessed last Friday.

"Now the production will be even more romantic! You're actually dating!" Selphie could barely contain her excitement. "This is so great!"

"Whoa, calm down, Selph," Kairi tried to hush the brunette girl. "Just because we're dating doesn't mean we're gonna make out on the stage or anything."

The excitement reigned between the group for days afterwards – Selphie commented on their adorable hand-holding antics daily. Soon, the rumours spread and every senior student knew about it. Axel and Riku were teasing Sora to no end, like proud big brothers. Everywhere they went, people were commenting.

"Aren't they so cute together?" Marlene would say in the hallway.

"They're cute, but we'd make a cuter couple," Zidane would tease Garnet, earning him a book in the face.

"Aw, just like when we started going out!" Aqua giggled to Terra.

By Friday, Naminé was slamming her head against her locker.

"You okay?" Roxas asked at the end of the day, noting her sour mood. He followed her gaze over to where Sora and Kairi stood by the door, sharing a few chaste kisses before they said goodbye.

"I know I brought this upon myself," Naminé prefaced, hauling her bag over her shoulder, "but I just didn't think it would be… like this! All the time! If it's not in front of me, it's all I hear from other people!"

Roxas smiled sympathetically. "I know, but… they are pretty-"

"Don't say cute. Don't say happy. I've heard enough from Selphie," she sighed.

"Sounds like you're kinda jealous," Roxas teased, and Naminé swatted the air near his face.

"I'm not! It's just… it's beginning to get old! Okay, yes, they're extremely cute together, and it's like… a perfect fairy-tale scenario. And _yes_ , it's the exact kind of relationship I've always wanted…" Naminé faltered under Roxas' stare, and she sighed again. "Okay… I'm jealous."

He chuckled. He had hoped she wouldn't dwell on it, but the fact of the matter was that she was still moving on. And he needed to move on too. "It's okay. I'm sure this isn't what you imagined."

Naminé nodded. "Exactly! I'm fine, really… it's just the whole, 'what could have been' kinda thing… it's not Sora I'm sad about. It's about… that kind of passion. I'm happy for them, but… I want that too. And I'm sad I missed out on it. But I'm happy. I am."

Roxas raised his eyebrows.

"Okay, I'm 90% happy and 10% jealous. Happy, now?"

"Very. Don't worry, I get what you mean… but it'll happen for you one day."

Naminé scrunched her face in doubt. "I don't think anyone can beat that kind of happiness, not even Terra and Aqua."

"You don't know that. The right guy's just waiting for you is all…" He trailed off, clearing his throat. "Anyway, it'll die down by next week."

She laughed. "The only way that will happen is if Selphie is off sick all week."

x-x-x

Sadly, Selphie was not off sick. "Oh my gosh, did you see Sora carrying Kairi's books this morning? That's like, every girl's dream!"

Naminé smiled wanly as she put on her dance shoes. "Yeah, he's a great boyfriend. Kairi's so lucky."

Selphie sighed dreamily. This girl seriously needed to start auditioning for movie roles. "I know. Although I was so sure she and Roxas were a thing. Even if it was in secret, you know?" She giggled, and Naminé rolled her eyes.

"Your imagination needs a reality check, Selph," she laughed, and the girls quickly warmed up together. Selphie went to practice with Ventus, and Naminé was left alone yet again. Roxas had another drum lesson – his exam was in just a few weeks.

"Naminé!" Miss Lockhart called the blonde over. "Have you and Roxas practiced your lift?"

"Um, not much…" She admitted, "there's not a lot of room at my house for a lift."

"Hmm…" The stark-haired teacher clucked her tongue in thought. "Well, if those drum exams don't end soon, we might need to scrap it."

"N-No! We can do it! Roxas has been working really hard – I know he's strong enough," Naminé pleaded, the fire back in her eyes. Miss Lockhart smiled.

"Alright, but I suggest you guys practice here when you can. It's a tricky move," she warned, and Naminé thanked her profusely. She definitely wouldn't miss out on this lift – it was the most exciting dance step she'd taken this year next to pointe shoes.

After school, Naminé put her books in her bag and set off – Roxas was still in drums, so she would walk home alone. On her way out, she ran into Sora and Kairi in the study hall. Sora was sitting on one of the tables and Kairi was standing in front of him – they were holding hands sweetly and speaking in hushed voices. Naminé couldn't help but smile. When all the buzz went away and it was just them, being happy together - she knew they really were meant to be.

"Hey, you two. How was science?" She asked, watching them reluctantly pull from each other's gaze.

"Boring – Mr. Hojo is crazy as usual," Sora sighed. "Where's Roxas?"

"In drums. His lessons are getting longer and longer."

"Uh-oh, you don't sound too happy about that," Kairi teased, and Naminé sighed dejectedly.

"It'd be fine if it wasn't for this lift we're doing. Although I'm still surprised he got so good at dancing so quickly."

Kairi smiled. "That's because of all those privates you did."

Sora joined in with the teasing. "Yeah, but he only sucked because he was nervous."

Naminé giggled. "He just didn't believe in himself at first. All he needed was some confidence. Although he's really nervous about the lift."

"Why?" Kairi asked. "I mean, he's strong enough, right?"

"Well yeah, he hasn't got a problem lifting me… but every time I run at him he looks really scared."

Sora snorted. "Classic Roxas."

Naminé shook her head. "I mean, he looks kind of scared throughout the whole dance, too… maybe he should taking some acting lessons from you two," she joked, "we have to pretend we're in love and breaking up, so…"

"Oh, well no wonder he's finding it so hard!" Sora laughed, but immediately realised his mistake. Kairi thumped him in the back, but the damage was done.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Naminé furrowed her brow, and Sora positively panicked.

"Um… W-Well, you know… he's just completely stupid with girls, and… uh… yeah! He sucks at being romantic." He looked to Kairi for help. "Right, Kai?"

But Naminé was shaking her head. "Is there something you two aren't telling me…?"

"No!" They said in unison, and Naminé raised her eyebrows.

"Why would Roxas find it hard to pretend to be in love?" She asked again, much sterner this time. Sora wiped his hand over his forehead nervously. "Guys…?"

"Like I said, Roxas is really bad with romance…" He tried again, but his tone suggested anything but certainty.

"That doesn't make any sense..." Naminé said slowly. Roxas had never shied away from gently rejecting a girl before, and although she'd never seen him hit on anyone before, she didn't vouch him as the nervous type. He was always calm and collected… except in dance. And the way Sora was acting...

"Doesn't it…?" The brunette boy stammered nervously. "Well, you haven't seen him Nam, he's terrible at asking girls out…"

Naminé shook her head again. "Sora… tell me the truth. What did you mean by that?"

Sora's eyes bulged and he looked just as scared as Roxas did at the prospect of a lift. He buried his face in his hands. "Oh, god, Roxas is gonna kill me!"

The blonde girl looked to Kairi for help, but she wasn't saying a word either. "Are you saying that… that Roxas…"

Sora slowly pulled his hands away from his face, his expression remorseful. "He… he's kinda madly in love with you."

x-x-x

Askopfpjdfoh this chapter. THIS CHAPTER. This was the crossroads. I had two different paths this story could take but ultimately I think this is the right path for these two. I had SO. MUCH. FUN. Writing this chapter! But the next one is going to be even more dramatic. How will Naminé react!? You'll find out soon!

The song Rox and Nam chose for their duet is 4 Minutes by Madonna ft. Justin Timberlake. I hope you guys enjoyed this chap! Don't forget to review on your way out!


	16. The Truth

Hello poppets! Thank you so much for all your amazing reviews! Here's the chapter you've all been waiting for - Namine finally knows about Roxas! What will she do? What will happen to their friendship? Find out right now in this super long chapter!

x-x-x

"He... He's kinda madly in love with you."

Namine's eyes widened. Time seemed to grind to a halt in that moment - the noise of the study hall became muted and distorted, and the only clear sounds she could hear were her racing thoughts. "What...?"

Sora didn't say anything, just looked to Kairi for support, and the two seemed to share the same expression - anticipation. Like they were waiting - no, _hoping_ \- for a positive reaction. Namine turned her head to look through the window, where the music and theatre building stood.

Roxas... Loved her? Actually _loved_ her? All this time... All the while she was mulling after Sora, _he_ liked her? Namine could barely comprehend it.

"Oh my gosh..." She said breathily, then turned back to her stunned friends. Sora had brought his hands up to his temples and he grimaced with guilt. Kairi was watching her blonde friend with bated breath.

"How-wha... um..." She stuttered, barely able to string any words together. "Since when...?"

Sora grimaced as if he was in pain. "Since you met..."

"Since we met!?" She shrieked, causing Sora to stand up and hide behind Kairi, who sighed theatrically. The brunette boy began shaking his head.

"Oh, this is bad... That's it. I'm dead. Roxas is gonna knock me out with his skateboard or - or use his drumsticks to poke my eyes out..."

"Sora, that's a bit dramatic..." Kairi patted her boyfriend's shoulder before stepping closer to Namine. The blonde girl was holding a hand to her stomach and seemed out of breath. "Namine... What do you think?"

"I... I don't know! I mean, this is unbelievable!" She stammered, not knowing what to do with herself. Her heart was beating so fast she thought she might faint. "I mean, this is Roxas! I... I don't..."

Her thoughts were interweaving so much she could barely even think anymore. There was so much to say and yet she was speechless. And with Sora and Kairi staring at her like they were, she could tell they were hoping she would be happy... But the truth was she didn't know how to feel...

Before they could coax anything else out of her, Zidane and Blank came walking through the hall, hauling a bag of basketballs and other various props. The blonde boy was gleefully bouncing a ball with one hand and a microphone in the other, while his red-headed compatriot grumbled as he dragged the rest of the equipment in a large bag.

"Hey, lovebirds!" Zidane called as he saw the couple, not noticing Blank staring daggers at him. If looks could kill, Zidane would be mince meat by now. "C'mon, we're gonna be late for rehearsal!"

Namine was secretly grateful for the interruption. She knew Sora and Kairi would be eager to hear her thoughts... But she couldn't even think coherently right now. She needed time to think.

Sora nodded vaguely, while Kairi kept her eyes on Namine. She approached her best friend gingerly. "Are you gonna be okay, Nam? We kind of have to go..."

Namine didn't make eye contact, but she nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'll... I'm fine. You guys go."

Kairi pursed her lips nervously, but ushered to Sora that they should go. "We'll talk to you soon, okay?" She added, quickly hugging the blonde before taking her boyfriend's hand and heading for the rehearsal room. Sora looked like he was about to face a giant monster, he was so pale. Guilt riddled his features.

Namine stood in the study hall for quite some time after they left. She simply couldn't believe it. For three years... For three years Roxas had quietly liked her, through all her silly rants about Sora. Why hadn't he told her? Why hadn't she realised his feelings? Was he really in love with her? How could she be so blind to such a thing? So many questions swirled in her mind and the answers were nowhere to be seen. But she also had to wonder if the answers even mattered. What really mattered... was if she liked him back.

But that possibility seemed like such a foreign thing in her mind. Not once had she considered Roxas in that way, even on the first day of year 7 when Kairi said he was cute! Back then, he was clearly out of her league... And when they became best friends, she thought of him as simply that - a friend. Their friendship had made sense. They clicked so well together. But this... It had shocked her to her very core.

The emotion of it all overwhelmed Namine and she had to escape the school grounds. She quickly hauled her bag over her shoulders and walked so fast her legs began to ache. She walked and walked and focused only on that until she was home. She threw herself into her English assignment, hoping it would distract her from her dizzying thoughts - but she couldn't concentrate. Everywhere she looked she was reminded of Roxas. He was in most of the photos that adorned her cork board and frames. He had left ugly scribbles on her pencil case. And the worst of all - he was her dance partner. How on earth was she going to dance with him now!?

Namine closed her eyes and sighed. There was no getting around it. Roxas was a huge part of her life, and she had to think about this carefully. Trying to ignore it would only ruin their friendship. She abandoned her desk and flopped herself onto her bed, heaving a great sigh and staring at the roof.

"Roxas..." She whispered. She was wracking her brains, trying to go back in time and see something she might have missed. The moment that stood out the most for her was when she told him it all went horribly wrong with Sora. He was so understanding, so caring... He took care of her and worried about her. If he was in love with her, wouldn't he have been jealous?

No... Roxas wasn't like that. Still, Namine marvelled at how supportive he had been despite his feelings. He had put himself to the wayside just to be a good friend. He was one of her best friends... She didn't know what she would do without him, but suddenly that possibility was rearing its ugly head. If she didn't like him back... Would their friendship recover?

Namine rolled to her side and found herself staring at her stuffed moogle doll. If he had loved her since they'd met, why hadn't he told her? He'd had a very long time to confess if he wanted to. He didn't even know about her crush on Sora until City Centre. What else could stop him? She supposed he might have been afraid it would ruin their friendship, but still... 'Love' seemed too big a thing to postpone for that.

Worst of all, Namine felt guilty for not seeing his feelings for what they were. Once again, she had failed one of her closest friends. First Sora, then Kairi, now Roxas... Why couldn't she pay attention to her friends' feelings? She felt so selfish yet again.

 _It's not selfish... What's important is you said 'yet'. Which means you know one day you'll be ready._

Roxas' words echoed in her mind, but she shook her head to herself.

 _You've still been loyal to your friends, Nam. Did you forget? You helped me to get good at dancing. That's definitely not selfish._

Namine sighed. She looked over once again at the large frame that adorned her desk - the photo from City Centre Selphie had given her. She stared into Roxas' visage, and suddenly he seemed like a whole other person. Would things ever be the same again...?

She lied on her bed for what felt like a long time, thinking about Roxas. She was trying to recall any moments that could have been clues... She guessed that every time he got nervous in dance was a big one. In the end, though, the clues weren't what mattered... Namine had been avoiding the big question. Did she like him back? She couldn't think of the answer right now. It was all so sudden! Could she like Roxas back? Did she really feel that way?

She thought back to the time she had asked him if he liked Kairi. He had said he would tell her anything... yet he lied about his feelings, because of her feelings for Sora. How hurt must he have been, seeing her crying about his best friend? Knowing she didn't like him back? How did he feel now? He clearly wasn't going to act on it while she was getting over Sora. Did this mean he didn't like her anymore? But Sora was adamant that Roxas loved her... He must still have feelings for her. The only way he would ever reveal his feelings now... is if she returned them.

Another memory flashed in her mind - the moment she cried in the middle of the street and Roxas held her. Without knowing what was wrong, he simply let her cry in his arms... Thinking about it now sent a wave of tingles up Namine's spine. She remembered how safe and warm she felt in his arms, despite the cold, despite the immeasurable sadness... How she had buried her head into his shoulder so closely...

Her thoughts were shattered apart by a familiar sound - the distant thrum of drumming from across the street. Roxas was home.

Namine closed her eyes and listened to his drumming. She recognised it as one of his exam exercises. Once they were over, dancing would take priority.

As annoying as his drumming was when she was studying, she found the sound comforting. It had become the sound of her high school days. It was nice to know that a friend wasn't far... That you need only listen for them nearby and know that you're not alone. She hadn't really thought about it until now...

Without thinking, Namine grabbed her phone and brought up her text messages. She scrolled to Roxas' name and went to type something... But what? What was it she wanted to hear from him...?

She shook her head and tried to write like she usually did, but reading back her words, she felt like she could feel the tension.

 _Welcome home ;) How was drums? Sounds like you're ready for the exam :)_

She sent the message before she had time to analyse her writing. She felt like cringing and stuffing her face into her pillow - but before she could, she heard the drumming stop. She couldn't help but smile. She watched as the little ellipses popped up on her screen, signifying that he was writing back. She almost felt like she could feel his presence from across the street.

 _How did you know? :P Thanks Nam. The teacher thinks I'm ready too, but I'm still gonna practice for a while. How was dance?_

She understood his nerves. In a few months Namine herself would face her dance exams, and she knew the feeling of being over-practiced. She quickly wrote back.

 _Don't overdo it! I know you'll ace it :) It was good, but we can't wait to have you back!_

She listened carefully - there was no sound of drumming. It seemed he was just focusing on their conversation for now. She didn't need to wait long for a reply.

 _:) Thank you. I hope so. Hey, I'm sorry I've been held up in drums for so long. I know I've missed a lot of dance. The exam will be over soon and I promise we'll focus on that_

Namine curled in on herself with her hands cradling her phone, reading over his words twice. She still couldn't believe how kind he was for caring so much about their dance - she knew it was only because of her he was trying so hard. But this thought brought with it a flurry of butterflies to her stomach. Sure, he wanted to be a good friend... But he also wanted to help her because...

She shook her head and quickly typed a thank-you response before shoving her phone back in her bag. She waited - and waited - and finally the blonde boy went back to his drumming. She found herself resisting the urge to pick up her phone again, to hear the sound of his drumming stop once more to talk to her... But why?

She threw herself once again into her English homework, and this time she didn't stop to think about Roxas.

x-x-x

Namine stood at the corner of her street the next morning, thinking. If anyone walked by her right now, they might have thought she was in a daze - she was staring at nothing in particular and wore a glazed expression. Ever since Sora let it slip, this felt like her perpetual state of being.

"Hey."

"Eep!" Namine jumped, turning around to see Roxas standing there. As usual, his drumsticks were sticking out of his bag.

He chuckled lightly. "Sorry. I'm surprised you're waiting for me. You normally go without me when I sleep in."

"Oh..." The blonde girl wavered, not really knowing why she had been standing there. Was she waiting for him? A little part of her niggled at her better senses, but she internally fought with the answer. "Well, I figured I'd be nice this morning. Plus it's not as cold anymore."

"Yeah, I don't miss winter, that's for sure," he smiled. The chilly days were slowly melting into spring and the island was returning to its usual sunshine.

They began the walk to school, and it was unusually quiet for the two. Namine stole a nervous glance at the blonde - he was biting his bottom lip.

"Are you nervous about your exam?" She asked, keeping her eyes forward.

"Yeah..." He said without falter. She liked how he could be so honest with himself. "I know I've practiced, but... You never know. Remember that one exam? My hands were so sweaty my sticks flew out of my grip."

"That was ages ago!" Namine chastised, but it had really only been two years since that incident. "And you still got a really good score."

Roxas scratched the back of his head sheepishly and wore a lopsided grin. "I know. I guess I don't know why I'm so nervous."

Namine smiled. He really didn't need to be nervous. She had the urge to reach out and give him a sympathetic pat on the back - but yesterday's revelations held her back. Would something as simple as a pat suggest anything? She was definitely overthinking this.

"I get it. I'm the same way with exams. I know the stuff, but I still stress..."

Roxas smirked in her direction. "I know. The only reason I aced all the dance quizzes is because you're such a stress-head." He chuckled when she pouted at him.

"Then my being stressed is a good thing after all!" She defended, poking her tongue out at him, but she quickly withdrew her expression and turned away. She was overthinking again! This was how she and Roxas always were... Playing around and teasing each other. It was purely friendship... Right? Namine didn't know anymore. Roxas laughed and they fell into silence again, and Namine parried the rest of his jokes and conversations.

She was thankful to arrive to most of the troupe by their lockers, talking animatedly. Sora and Kairi were holding hands as usual, but Namine simply smiled at the gesture this time. Everyone still seemed to be gushing excitedly about their relationship (probably thanks to Selphie), but she loved seeing how happy the two of them were together. She remembered what she'd said to Roxas the other day and nodded to herself - it really wasn't Sora she was sad about anymore, it was how much she wanted that meaningful relationship.

But this thought made her think about Roxas and the possibility of a relationship with him, and her head went spinning again. Why couldn't she stop thinking about him!? She tried to listen intently to Olette as she talked about their art projects, but the blonde boy stayed in her thoughts. It was going to be a long day indeed.

Thankfully, something finally distracted her. On the other side of the hall, Namine noticed something different - a new face. A shock of short, dark hair was bobbing up and down at a locker that was once empty. A new student? Destiny High wasn't a huge school, and she had never seen this girl before. When she closed her locker, Namine saw her small, round face, and watched her features contort into an expression of extreme nervousness. The poor girl. The start of the new school year was enough to send Namine into a spin, so she couldn't imagine what it would be like to move to a new school this late in the year.

She wanted to go up to the girl and say hi, if only to make her feel better, but soon Namine was brought into the conversation of her friends and she was lost in countless news - Hayner losing an arm wrestle to Sora, Pence almost setting the I.T. lab on fire, and Selphie's apparent crush on Riku (I don't like him, okay!?). By the time they headed to their classes, Namine couldn't find the stark haired girl in the hall anymore. She made a point to look out for her as she set off for class.

x-x-x

By the time the next double dance lesson rolled around, Roxas was absent once again. Namine felt rather foolish dancing her partner bit without him, and whenever it was time for the lift she just stood dumbly, wishing her blonde friend had never taken up drums. Miss Lockhart was looking more stressed with every lesson, but Namine assured her his exam was tomorrow and they would nail the lift. In truth, though, she wasn't so sure...

Selphie joined her for a quick drink break. "It feels like Roxas has been away for aaages."

"Yeah..." Namine sighed, leaning back on her arms. "But his exam is tomorrow, so he'll be back after that."

The brunette girl nodded. "Don't look so worried! You guys will be fine." She rolled into a sitting position and stretched her legs. "Roxas seems nervous about his exam, too, but he always gets a good score."

Namine smiled. "Yeah. He's kinda like me with my dance results."

Selphie nodded with vigour, then leaned in closer to the blonde girl. "Oh yeah, guess what Sora and Kairi are doing in their rehearsal right now? They're taking photos for the poster! I can't wait to see it!"

Namine giggled at Selphie's excitement. "They're so cute together. I've never seen them happier."

This brought with it a pang of butterflies regarding her own situation. All week long, her thoughts had been filled with Roxas. Thankfully everyone was so busy that Kairi and Sora hadn't managed to ask her anything about him yet. Well, not in person, anyway... Kairi had sent multiple texts trying to get an answer out of Namine, but she couldn't give a straight answer yet. She hadn't seen Roxas much this week either... But she had partly been avoiding him. She just didn't know what to do! Even worse, their private lesson was tomorrow afternoon, after his drum exam. It would be their first lesson since she found out about him. What was she going to do...?

"Alright guys, let's get back at it!" Miss Lockhart called out, and everyone moved back into position. Namine felt so conscious of herself every time it came to the lift and the stark haired teacher grimaced. Still, the routine was looking amazing and everyone was getting excited about the festival.

The bell finally rang and it was the end of the day. Namine and Selphie grabbed their bags after changing back into their uniforms, and headed down the hall of the theatre block. They walked past the music room, where Roxas was drumming away and his teacher was giving him tips. Selphie pressed her face up to the tiny window on the door.

"Selphie, don't bother him!" Namine cried, pulling the brunette girl away.

"I just wanted to scare him and make him flick his sticks again!" Selphie laughed.

They continued down the hall and passed the large rehearsal room. They could hear the excited chatter of the entire cast of the production. Selphie whimpered that she wished she could have done both drama and dance. They poked their heads into the door and saw Sora and Kairi across the room. Kairi was leaning on Sora affectionately and he planted a kiss to the side of her head.

"Argghh, I can't stand how cute they are!" Selphie squealed, and she was so loud that several people turned to look at her. She giggled nervously and Namine turned red.

Kairi looked up and waved to the two girls, and started to head over. Namine panicked. Would she ask her about Roxas?

"C'mon Selph, you've bothered them enough -" she tried to drag the girl away, but Kairi seemed to read her mind and bounded up to them with increased speed.

"I'm so glad you guys are here! We need your help," Kairi smiled with a hint of mischief in her eyes.

"Oooh, what is it!? Need some extra backup dancers?" Selphie asked, her eyes positively shining.

"I have a better job for you," the redhead smiled, "let's just say today's photographer... Wasn't any good. Can you take the group photos for the posters?"

For a moment, Namine thought Selphie might explode from the excitement. "Oh my gosh, can I!? Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, this is so exciting! I have my camera right here - let's do this right now!"

Kairi and Namine exchanged a glance and giggled. "Thanks, Selph. You can set up over there whenever you're..." But the brunette girl was already bolting into the room and pulling out her camera. "... Ready. Okay, well she's taken care of." She turned back to Namine with a smile. "And you, missy, are coming with me."

"What for?" Namine asked, but Kairi was already dragging her through the room, past the excited drama students and into one of the dressing rooms. Bags were strewn everywhere and mirrors adorned most of the walls, framed with bright, round lights. Namine instantly felt like she was getting ready for a dance concert.

"Sit," Kairi ushered, holding the blonde girl by the shoulders and pushing her into a spare chair. She jumped up onto the bench top, which was covered in make-up and wigs, and swung her legs excitedly. "You've been avoiding me, girl!"

Namine shook her hands defensively. "I-I haven't! We've all been so busy, you know! After-school rehearsals, and-and dance lessons, and exams..."

Kairi shook her head and tutted. "No excuses! I've been trying to catch you for days!" She looked Namine in the eyes. "Have you thought about Roxas?"

"Have I thought about Roxas?" Namine feigned a sarcastic chuckle, but Kairi glared at her and she wavered. "Alright... I haven't stopped thinking about him for days." Kairi squealed and looked incredibly excited, but Namine shushed her quickly. "It's not like that! I've been thinking about him... But I still don't know how to feel about him."

Kairi deflated sadly. "Really...? But you guys are meant to be together!"

Namine tightened her lips. "I thought about that a lot, too... The way we met, how quickly we got so close... And how sad he must have been when I cried about Sora. But... I'm scared."

"What are you scared about?" Kairi asked softly.

"Well... He's one of my best friends. I couldn't stand it if we couldn't be friends anymore. So... If I tell him I like him, and then end up not feeling the same, it'll never be the same again! We won't be friends anymore... But at the same time, I can't ignore his feelings. Every time I see him now, I'm wondering what he's thinking about me... And even though he knows I don't like him, he's still being my friend... This is so confusing!" Namine threw her face into her hands. "I don't know what to do..."

Kairi smiled sympathetically, then hopped down from her perch and pulled up another chair, patting Namine on the shoulder. "I know... But that thing you said about not being friends anymore... You know that'll never happen."

Namine brought her hands down again. "How do you know?"

"You and Sora are still friends," she smiled knowingly. "And I can bet anything that you and Roxas are closer. He won't leave your side if you don't feel the same... If that was true, he would have already stopped being your friend. He's still by your side even though he knows you don't like him back."

Namine sighed, but she was smiling. "How is it you know just what to say?" She leaned forward and hugged her best friend. "You're right... I shouldn't worry about losing him. No matter what, we'll work it out. But I... I feel like I have to sort it out. I don't want him to keep liking me and never be happy."

"But you can't talk to him until you sort out your feelings," Kairi added, pulling back. She watched Namine carefully. "It sounds to me like... you might like to give it a try?"

The blonde tried to hide it, but a smile blossomed to her features. "Maybe? I don't know! I mean, this is Roxas..."

"Right. He's good-looking, and athletic, and charming..."

"Kairi!" Namine covered her face in embarrassment and Kairi giggled. "I... I thought about it a lot. And I'm terrified. But... I'm also thinking... It might be kind of great."

Kairi clapped her hands together in excitement. "Oh my gosh, you and Roxas!"

"Shhh!" Namine was aware of the excited chatter from outside. "Maybe. I need to think about it some more. But... I'll definitely talk to him about it soon."

"I'm here for you every step of the way," Kairi hugged her again. "If it all works out, we have to double date!"

At that moment, Selphie came into the room, her eyes filled with excitement. "I'm ready to take the photos! C'mon Kai, you're the lead! Now, I'm gonna need you to give Sora a passionate kiss..."

Kairi rolled her eyes. "Will I regret this decision?" She asked Namine.

"Most likely," she giggled, and they followed Selphie into the rehearsal room.

x-x-x

The next morning, Namine had to put her thoughts to the wayside - it was the day of Roxas' drum exam and she had never seen him this nervous. They barely talked on the walk to school, and in every class she would glance his way to find him taking deep breaths. She marvelled at how Roxas, such a calm, assured guy, could get worked up like this. When it came to things he truly cared about, he could get wound up pretty quickly.

Finally, the exam rolled around. It was taking place during the troupe's English class, and everyone cheered him on as he gathered his things.

"You're gonna smash it!" Hayner assured him, and they bumped fists.

"Knock 'em dead!" Sora added, giving him a high-five.

"Don't let the sticks fly out of your hands!" Selphie ruined it. Everyone laughed though, and Roxas' shoulders relaxed.

"Thanks, guys. I'll see you at the end of the day."

Namine felt very aware of herself, but she knew Roxas needed her support whether she was confused about him or not. She placed a hand on his arm and he looked at her.

"You'll be amazing, Roxas. I know it." She smiled. "Trust me," she added jokingly, and Roxas knew she was referring to what she'd heard from across the street.

He nodded and placed a hand over hers, squeezing it slightly. "Thank you, Nam. I'll see you later, okay?"

He let go and waved to the guys before leaving, but not before Miss Gainsborough gave him an exuberant "Good luck, Roxas!". Namine watched as he walked out the glass doors and rounded the corner, out of sight. Her hand was tingling from the contact moments ago and she felt her face heating up. Did he have to go and grab her hand like that!? Dreading the possible reaction, she slowly turned back to her work and saw Kairi out of the corner of her eye, winking lewdly. Namine pouted at her and quickly got back to work.

The lesson seemed to stretch on for hours... For Namine, at least. She kept watching the clock and wondering how Roxas was going at every moment.

 _He's probably just arriving now... I bet he's doing that one exercise right now... It's half-way... Maybe he's giving some theory now? Oh, I hope he gets the final part right... He'll be finishing any minute..._

She thought she might explode with anticipation by the time the bell rang and she quickly gathered her things, ushering the others to hurry up. "Come on, we gotta find out how Roxas did!"

"He'll be fine," Pence assured with a warm smile.

"As long as his hands didn't get too sweaty, he'll be great," Olette giggled, and Namine couldn't help but remember how he had touched her hand again. It certainly didn't feel sweaty to her... But she remembered how she got a jolt of nerves and shook her head.

The gang finally gathered their things and Namine took the unusual role of leading them back to the lockers. When they arrived, Roxas was already waiting - he was smiling. Namine sighed with relief as she ran towards him.

"How did it go?" She asked breathlessly, but he was smiling so hard she didn't need the answer. Everyone else gathered around.

"It went great! I couldn't believe it!" Roxas looked like he could fly, he was so excited.

"No injuries this year?" Sora laughed, patting the blonde on the back.

"Nope, sticks stayed in my hands the whole time. I can't wait to get my results!"

"Now you can come back to your dance classes!" Selphie teased, leaning close to his face with an accusatory expression. "Miss Lockhart is getting sooo stressed because of you! I swear I saw Mr. Strife sneak something into her drink."

Roxas laughed. "Don't worry, I won't miss another lesson."

Everyone basked in Roxas' success for a while before they headed their separate ways home. As they walked home, Namine noticed Roxas was almost skipping. She giggled and he looked at her dubiously.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm proud of you, Roxas."

He gave her a lopsided grin. "Thanks. You know, this is all thanks to you."

Namine raised her eyebrows. "Huh? I didn't do anything. I mean, nothing that the others didn't do as well..."

Roxas shook his head. "You're the reason I kept going in the first place."

They stopped at the corner of the street where they normally parted ways, and Namine furrowed her brow. "Huh?"

"I mean..." He scratched the back of his head, suddenly nervous. "I never told you this, but I was thinking of quitting drums when I entered high school. I didn't think I was good enough to take the exams... But when you yelled at me that day and said I'd perfected it... That was the reason I didn't quit."

Namine's eyes widened. She couldn't believe she'd been his inspiration to keep going with drums! She also couldn't help but fight a smirk, knowing she could have avoided years of annoying drumming sounds by telling him he sucked. Still... She couldn't deny she had come to find comfort in his tunes.

"Really...?"

Roxas chuckled at her shocked expression. "Really. So, I guess what I'm saying is... Thanks. For putting up with my drumming and supporting me. I couldn't have done it without you."

He gave her the warmest smile she had ever seen adorn his lips, and she positively melted. She turned away quickly.

"Y-You're welcome..."

She looked back up to see him still smiling, then he lofted up his heavy bag again. "Alright, I'll just go change and I'll head back to yours."

She nodded and they parted ways, and when she was safely in her house she slapped her cheeks and sighed.

 _Why is it that the second I find out he likes me, every little thing he does is so... so... Argh!_

Namine didn't know how she was going to survive this dance lesson.

x-x-x

Roxas arrived not ten minutes later, and everything seemed to go smoothly for the most part. They practiced the group dance several times, although the room was too small to do the lift. Then they moved on to their duet, which Namine had completed while he was practicing for drums the past few weeks. It was a lot to remember, but Roxas seemed to pick it up pretty quickly, still on a high from his successful exam.

By the seventh run-through, they were panting and heaving fiercely and both teens collapsed to grab a drink. It took a while for them to regain their breath - Roxas was lying on his back and panting at the roof.

"You know, the dance is fun, but I wish it was... slower," he sighed, wiping his brow.

Namine giggled. "For it to be any slower, it couldn't be a hip-hop or jazz piece anymore. You'd have to do a ballet dance for that. Or a slow couples dance."

Roxas hummed as if he was in thought, then cringed. "On second thought, maybe not."

"That's what I thought!" Namine laughed, then stood and stretched. "I have to do a salsa themed dance for my exam this year."

"Do you get to use castanets?" Roxas asked with a chuckle, sitting upright.

"That's for Spanish dancing, silly. Salsa is this..." Namine quickly found a smooth Michael Buble song called 'Sway' and pressed play. She flicked her hand to the side dramatically and over-swayed her hips, and Roxas laughed.

"Some exam you have. I'll stick to my drumming, thanks."

"You say that now," Namine said, her hands on her hips, "but you might need to learn a couples dance if you do the deb ball."

"Huh? Deb ball?"

"The Debutante ball! In year 11!" Namine sighed. "Boys really are clueless."

Roxas waved his hand lazily. "That's two years away. And who says I want to go?"

"I'd expect better than that from my prized dance student," Namine teased.

"But the whole point is to go with someone, right? Who says I'll have a dance partner?"

Namine suddenly flushed red at the implications of this question. "W-Well, Sora will probably go with Kairi, so that's an incentive to find somebody."

"I dunno..." He sighed, standing up and stretching his back. Of course, the only person he wanted to take was someone who didn't like him in return...

"And what are you going to do at their wedding when it's time to dance?" Namine added for fun, and partly to skirt around the topic of the deb ball.

"I'll be at the bar," he stuck his tongue between his teeth jokingly, and Namine thumped him.

"Come on, it's actually really easy," she approached him, then, feeling slightly giddy. "The girl does most of the work anyway."

"Isn't the guy supposed to lead?" Roxas asked uncertainly, having flashbacks to his conversation with Sora about dancing.

"Does the guy do any spins or jumps?" Namine asked, placing a hand on his shoulder and taking his hand in the other. She suddenly regretted this decision as she helped to place Roxas' hand on her back. "Just follow my lead. Remember that 3-4 timing we learned at school?"

"Not even a little bit," Roxas said, looking down at their feet and concentrating on not stepping on her toes. "This is... really hard."

"You're doing great! All that practice has trained you for this moment," Naminie giggled despite herself as they danced in tune to the music.

 _Other dancers may be on the floor... Dear, but my eyes will see only you... Only you have that magic technique... When we sway, I go weak..._

She also suddenly regretted the song choice, but Roxas was too busy looking at his feet to notice her rosy cheeks. Finally, the song faded away and the next song in the playlist began to play... An even slower, more romantic song... It had a special place in Namine's heart because it played at a wedding she went to as a child - that was the moment she began to looked forward to love.

Namine slowed down to match the tune and Roxas did too, making it easier to keep up with the steps.

"See, you've got it," Namine said softly, very aware of how close Roxas was to her now. He looked up too, hesitantly, worried he might step on her feet if he did. Their eyes locked.

"I couldn't have picked it up this quickly without you," He said incredulously, wearing his lopsided grin.

"You worked hard too, you know..." Namine assured. The music picked up a bit in speed, and Roxas started bopping to the beat in a silly way, causing her to laugh. "That's a bit over the top, but still passable."

"Come on, it's fun!" He smiled, guiding her along to dance in his silly manner.

They both laughed as Roxas swayed his hips over-dramatically and pursed his lips out in mock concentration. Namine let him drag her around with his wild motions as the music reached it's peak.

 _I love you baby, and if it's quite alright, I need you baby, to warm the lonely nights, I love you baby... Trust in me when I say..._

She started to lip sync the words and they were both becoming giggly and silly. Eventually the song returned to its slow, romantic pace and they too slowed down their antics, chuckling lightly. He was holding her close, now, their hands still lightly grasped. She looked up at him tentatively, very aware of their proximity now. They locked eyes again... One, two, three seconds and Namine tore away, unable to handle the moment. She knew it was only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity - he looked so sincere and serious for a moment, with that shy smile he wore when he was lost in thought. She suddenly felt very hot and pulled away, putting her hands on her hips and nodding with feigned vigour.

"Good! Very good. You're ready for the deb ball. Maybe less crazy hip shaking next time, though."

Roxas laughed, though softly, as if he wished they hadn't parted. "I'll try to resist... Though I still doubt I'll be going."

Namine didn't answer this, knowing it could lead to all sorts of conversations that she simply wasn't ready to partake in. "I think that's enough for today. We've made a lot of progress on our duo. Same time next week, okay?"

Roxas nodded with a smile. "Sounds good. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

He went to leave the room, but before he did, Namine grabbed his arm to stop him. It was completely reflexive - she wanted him to leave, but he needed to know this.

"I know I already said this, but... I'm really proud of you, Roxas. Congratulations on a great exam." She said, forcing herself to look him in the eyes. She was glad she did - watching his expression light up and swell with pride was worth the agonising uncertainty. She wanted to lean out and hug him - and she would have done before Sora spilled the beans - but now... It seemed too forward.

He turned his body to face her and smiled. "Thanks, Nam."

She smiled and let go of his arm, and he hesitated a moment before he left. When she was sure he had left the house, she plummeted herself onto the couch and buried her head in a pillow, groaning with embarrassment.

Now she _really_ had to decide what to do, and fast. She didn't think she could handle another private like that.

x-x-x

When Roxas got home, he flopped onto his bed and rubbed his hands over his face, grimacing. Why did he keep doing this to himself? He was trying to get over Namine, trying to just be a good friend, and he kept letting moments like that happen! Did those sorts of pauses really happen between friends? Did Namine think it was all just fooling around?

The blonde let out a heavy sigh. He had to stop looking at her like that. Even if... Even if the way they locked eyes just now felt so...

He rolled over in his bed to grab his phone, resolving to talk to Sora about this. Maybe he could knock some sense into him. One way or another, he had to get over her.

x-x-x

The song our favourite couple dance to is 'Can't take my eyes off you' by Frankie Valli and the four seasons. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I had sooo much fun writing it! That heated moment seriously gives me life. I think we might need to keep an eye on that dark haired girl... I wonder who it could be!? (Spoilers: you already know who it is) Don't forget to review on your way out! Much love lovely readers!


	17. The New Girl

Ack, I'm so sorry for the delay with yet another chapter! School has been absolutely crazy! But your amazing reviews and messages keep me motivated, so it's thanks to you this chapter is here :) Things are going to get even more interesting, so hold onto your hats!

x-x-x

Sora was sprawled on his bed, his basketball costume crumpled against him, and his hair even messier than usual. Despite his dishevelled look, he was still wearing his signature grin as he talked on the phone to Kairi. Even though they'd just had drama practice together, he had called her the second he got home. He was chuckling softly as she talked about Selphie's antics when he felt his phone vibrate. He put Kairi on speaker.

"Sorry Kai, Roxas is messaging me… Oh, wow. You have to hear this."

"What? What did he say?"

Sora was laughing as he spoke. "He says 'oh god Naminé and I just had this really like close moment but I don't know if it meant anything'… and he added a confused emoji. Man, those two are hopeless."

Kairi laughed. "I wonder what happened? Naminé is thinking about saying yes to him, you know."

"Really? Can you imagine how Roxas will react? He might explode from happiness."

"He'll be _so_ happy. Also, I really want them to go out so we can double date!"

Sora snorted. "I see you have your priorities straight. Alright, what should I send back to him?"

"Say if he thinks it was something it was _definitely_ something."

"Okay… 'If you feel like it meant something it probably does.' Aaand send!"

"As much as I was mad at you for being a doofus and telling her, I really think this might work out!"

Sora pouted even though she couldn't see him. "It's not my fault!" He could practically feel her glaring at him from the silence. "Okay, it kinda was, but it was an accident! Oop, he just messaged back. 'I'm sure I'm just being stupid because I know she doesn't like me. I just need to get over her'. Ugh, he's right about one thing – he is stupid!"

Kairi giggled. "Tell him that!"

"Nuh-uh, no way. I'm not letting it slip twice. Besides, you said Naminé was thinking of saying yes to him. It's not like he's _really_ gonna get over her anytime soon."

"Yeah, you're probably right. But I just want them to go out right now! I'll try and coax her into talking to him sooner rather than later."

"We could be professional matchmakers, you know," Sora said matter-of-factly.

Kairi faked a laugh. "If we were professionals, they'd already be dating. We're honestly the worst matchmakers in the world."

Sora chuckled. "You'll see! They'll be together in no time."

x-x-x

Naminé was absolutely dreading seeing Roxas at school the next day. She'd spent the better portion of last night reliving that heated moment… they had been so close she could still remember the warmth he radiated and how he held her close to him. Most of all, she couldn't get his expression out of her head… the way his eyes had relaxed on hers, and how his eyelids had drooped down, and how for a teeny, tiny moment, it almost felt like they were going to…

The blonde girl shook her head as she increased her walking speed. She had left without Roxas that morning. She wondered if leaving him behind would send the wrong message, after all the words of encouragement she'd given him yesterday… but she just couldn't face him yet. That moment was too heady, too giddy… She didn't even know if she really wanted to give him a chance yet. She was constantly torn between destroying their friendship and forming a possibly amazing relationship. Even after Kairi's encouragement, she was still riddled with doubt. But every time she saw him, her answer always leaned closer to a yes... She needed some space to figure it out.

 _Okay, breathe Naminé, you'll have to see him soon so just relax…He has no idea! Even if you two almost leaned in to each other yesterday… and danced to romantic songs… it's fine! Totally fine…_

Naminé was never very good at convincing herself.

When she arrived at the year 9 block, she found it was packed as usual. She was stuffing her bag into her locker when she heard a familiar voice from the other end of the corridor.

"Hey, shorty!"

She turned to see Axel's flaming red hair obscuring the person he was talking to. Honestly, Axel was so tall he even towered over Riku, so whoever this 'shorty' was could easily be hidden by him. She couldn't even make out the whisper of the voice who responded to him. Was Axel being mean to someone? He was a good guy, but he could have his moments of brashness and jealousy every now and then.

"Axel, are you being a bully?" Naminé called out in a teasing tone, and Axel turned with his tongue between his teeth, clearly elated someone had caught him out.

"Who, me? Never!" He said with a mischievous grin. "I was just giving shorty here some good 'ol upperclassmen advice. Gotta look after the kids, y'know?"

"Who are you…?" But just as Naminé was about to ask, Axel moved and revealed the stark haired girl she had seen the other day. Her black hair was cut in a stylish bob. She looked rather shy and slightly embarrassed by Axel's antics, her mouth twisted into a half-smile, half-grimace.

"If he's bothering you, I can get him suspended for you," Naminé joked, and she was delighted when the dark-haired girl smiled slightly in return. The girl dropped her eyes to the floor immediately after, still embarrassed.

"I'm not bothering her! I helped pick up her books the other day and now we're best friends," Axel laughed, swinging one arm around the girl's shoulders. The bulk of his weight was so much that she almost toppled to the ground, letting out a small 'eep!'.

Naminé put her hands on her hips. "I'll tell Roxas you said that. He'll be devastated you've replaced him."

"Yeah, you've broken my heart, Ax!"

Naminé almost froze as she heard Roxas' voice from behind her. He walked up to her with a wide grin, still wearing his backpack. She made a conscious effort to keep her eyes on Axel.

"What, I can't have two best friends?" Axel tried, but the girl clearly looking bewildered. Luckily for her, the first bell rang and Axel suddenly looked pale. "Ack, I completely forgot about Mr. Fair's homework! Gotta run, kids!"

He bolted out of the year 9 building, leaving the girl standing there awkwardly. Naminé felt a strong pull to say something to her, but their first class of the day was maths with Mr. Highwind, and lord help anyone who was late for that class.

"Let me know if he troubles you again, okay?" Naminé smiled at the girl. Though still looking startled, the girl gave a good natured nod in return.

"T-Thanks," she smiled back.

Naminé left Roxas' side then, adamant to prolong direct contact with him for as long as possible. Even looking at him was too hard anymore! She had to make a decision and soon, or else their friendship really would suffer.

While Naminé ran to her locker, Roxas turned back to the girl and smiled as well. "Don't worry, Axel is harmless, really. But if he annoys you, I'll take care of him."

The girl smiled nervously and nodded, then quickly turned back to her locker. That done, Roxas ran to his own locker, moving as fast as he could to avoid a scold from Mr. Highwind. He couldn't help but try and catch Naminé's eye, but she had left him behind and headed for class. He sighed as he grabbed his pencil case and followed her trail to class.

x-x-x

"Hmm… What do you think, Olette?"

Naminé held up her large canvas in the brunette's direction. Paints were sprawled all around her and the class was buzzing with chatter as they created.

Olette looked up from her own painting and smiled at Naminé's first layer of work. "Wow, that's amazing, Nam! I love the colour scheme."

"Are you sure?" The blonde asked, uncertain. Dancing had always come easy, but when it came to her second passion, she felt her style was too simple.

"Definitely. Everyone will love it at the festival," Olette assured her.

"Aww, thank you! They'll love yours too!" Naminé leaned over to gaze at the brunette's brightly coloured piece, splashed with vibrant oranges and yellows. "Very you!"

"Thanks!" Olette puffed up with pride. Naminé couldn't help but giggle when she noticed bright yellow splotches at the ends of her friend's hair. She decided not to say anything for now.

The two got back to work. Naminé focused on finishing her first layer of colours. Once that was done, she sat and waited for it to dry, but grew restless and stood up to stretch. Naminé loved the relaxing and casual atmosphere of art class – people were free to wander around as they pleased, and Miss Heartilly always played music for the class to listen to.

Naminé decided to walk around the room. She found everyone's pieces so inspiring. Marlene's piece was full of pastel shades and adorable drawings. She especially admired Garnet's intricate oil pastel painting. Just as she was marvelling at Serah's beach painting, her eyes fell upon a strange face at the back of the room.

It was that new girl! Her short, black hair was shadowing her face so you could barely see her eyes. She looked extremely closed in on herself as she tentatively sketched. Her eyes would flick up every now and then, making sure nobody was peeking at her work.

Why hadn't Miss Heartilly introduced her to the class? She had already been at the school for a few days, and yet she blended into the background so easily. Still, Naminé felt a rush of anticipation as she walked up to her. She could finally get to know her and help her out!

The black-haired girl looked up as Naminé approached, a look of nervousness springing to her features.

"Hi! I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier. I'm Naminé."

She waited for the girl to respond, but she hesitated, fiddling with her pencil. Naminé noticed she was subtly trying to hide her sketch with her arm. Finally, she spoke, barely above a whisper over the noise of the classroom. "Um… I'm Xion."

"Xion, nice to finally meet you!" Naminé smiled, then pulled up a nearby chair in front of the table. "It's nice to put a name to your face. I wanted to say hi a few days ago, but I didn't get the chance. Oh, sorry about Axel this morning."

Naminé felt like she was babbling like an idiot, but she saw Xion's lips slowly curving up into a smile. "It's okay. He did help me pick up my books when I dropped them the other day." She pursed her lips for a moment. "He's very… energetic."

Naminé giggled. "That's our Axel. You'll get used to him." Xion kept smiling, and Naminé beamed at the progress she was making. There was a slightly awkward silence before she continued. "Um, you're new, right?" She mentally slapped herself for stating the obvious.

Xion nodded. "Yeah, I just moved here last week. My mum got a job here so we moved from Twilight City."

"Oh, that's awesome! A few of my friends used to live there too, but you'll love it here," Naminé assured, but Xion seemed unsure, crinkling her nose slightly.

"I'm not really a fan of the heat," she admitted, and Naminé noted how she was wearing pants instead of a dress or a skirt. Another awkward silence. "Um… thank you for saying hi, but you don't have to stay here with me…"

"I'm having fun!" Naminé said instantly, and Xion's smile widened even further. "I know it must be hard moving schools this far into the year. If Axel didn't scare you away, I'm sure my friends would love to meet you. What do you say?"

Naminé marvelled at how Xion's eyes lit up with happiness. She had tried to turn her away, and yet she clearly needed a friend. Naminé was counting this as a win.

"Really? I don't want to annoy you guys…" she said, almost inaudibly. She had the softest, quietest voice Naminé had ever heard.

"Of course! Here, come with me, my friend Olette is right over there…"

Naminé ushered Xion over to their table and Olette looked up with a smile as she was introduced. The poor girl looked terribly nervous as she spoke, but she slowly relaxed her shoulders as the girls asked her questions and told her about themselves. They found out that Xion quite liked science class, and that her mother was a doctor. Naminé felt a swell of pride welling up inside her.

"Yeah, we hang out every day at our usual spot," Olette was explaining, and Xion's eyes widened in awe. "You can come with us today!"

She looked abashed for a moment, but her smile remained. "Thank you… I'm really happy I met you guys. Even if I had to put up with Axel's teasing."

The bell rang over the sound of the girl's laughter, and they quickly packed up their art supplies, excited to show Xion the usual spot. Naminé hoped nobody would mind an extra person. In truth, the gang had stayed the same since year 7 with the occasional visit from Tidus and Wakka, or Riku and Axel. They'd never added a new friend to their group before, but she was sure it would be okay. She just hoped the boys wouldn't mind the serious disproportion of girls and boys in the group.

Xion followed the girls to the spot, holding on tight to the yoghurt she'd brought for snack. She always seemed slightly hunched in on herself and incredibly quiet – definitely not the type to stand out and make friends.

"Everyone, this is Xion," Naminé introduced when they made it to the group. Everyone looked up with a smile, but poor Xion looked spooked from all the attention. "She's just moved here from Twilight city and she's in our art class!"

They sat down and Xion clasped her hands tightly around her yoghurt, still hunching in on herself. Everyone gave a good natured hello, and Pence immediately perked up with a "Hey, Hayner, Olette and I used to live there too! Is the cranky old man that wanders around the mall still alive?"

This lead to a hearty conversation between everyone and although she didn't speak much, Xion's shoulders began to relax and she was smiling the entire time. Every now and then she'd look to Naminé for support, and the blonde girl happily helped her navigate this new group of people. She suddenly felt like a proud mother watching her child make new friends. Now that she'd introduced Xion to the group, she felt she needed to protect her.

"So be honest, what's better – Twilight city or Destiny islands?" Hayner asked, eyeing Xion mischievously.

"Um, I don't know… I haven't seen much of the islands. I haven't really been anywhere yet."

"Not even the beach!?" Selphie's eyes bulged dramatically. "Oh my gosh, we have to show you around! And the pier, it's so much fun. And oh my gosh, the shopping!"

Kairi rolled her eyes. "Don't overwhelm the poor girl. But I agree – we should all have a beach day and show you around. It's getting warmer now, so it's perfect timing!"

Naminé was about to jump in and say that Xion didn't enjoy the heat, but the dark-haired girl was nodding happily, so she decided to let her take the reins. Everyone agreed the beach was a great idea, and decided to head there on Saturday. Xion looked over at Naminé with the biggest grin, and Naminé smiled back. It truly felt wonderful to help her make new friends in this strange new school.

That, and looking after Xion meant she didn't have to look at Roxas once that day.

x-x-x

"Woooo, beach day!"

Naminé wondered if inviting Axel was the best idea for Xion's first day at the beach. For one, he wouldn't leave the poor girl alone, teasing her quiet nature and height at every opportunity. She hoped Roxas and Riku's presence would distract him somewhat. Luckily, the girls had taken a liking to the shy girl and were taking her under their wing. Selphie didn't even stop to draw breath as she explained every must-see location.

"There are soooo many shops along the wharf, you'll be here every weekend. And there's the arcade and the skate park, and our favourite spot on the beach near this little cove-y area… and over there is Uncle Scrooge's Ice Cream Parlour, you HAVE to try sea-salt flavoured ice cream, OH and paopu of course, and OH MY GOSH do you know the legend of the paopu fruit here!? They say if two people share one…"

She wouldn't have been surprised if Selphie passed out from all the talking.

They somehow made it safely to their favourite spot on the beach, further away from the busy shopping spots along the wharf and nestled along a curve of gold, where outcroppings of rocks and palm trees provided plentiful shade. Here, the girls set up their towels and umbrellas while the boys ran straight into the ocean, seemingly trying to drown each other. The girls happily settled down and chatted before deciding to go for a swim.

Xion looked slightly out of place, wearing long white shorts and a swimming t-shirt that covered her shoulders, compared to the other girls who were in bikinis and shorts. She seemed to be the type that liked to be clad in warm clothing – no wonder she hated the heat. She stuck close to Naminé, laying her towel between hers and Olette's.

"Thanks again, Naminé," she said shyly as the other girls started putting on sunscreen. "I thought I'd never meet anyone at school, and now I'm here on the beach with you guys." Her warm smiled lit up her face, normally concealed by her dark hair.

"No problem at all," Naminé smiled in return, "The more the merrier. I used to be really shy too. If it wasn't for Kairi, I probably wouldn't have made any friends at high school."

They shared a moment of comfortable silence, and Naminé couldn't have been happier about her decision. After the girls slapped on their sunscreen, they joined the boys in the fray. Xion stuck close to the shoreline with Pence for a while, where they combed the foamy sand for sea creatures.

"Ahh, Sora!" Kairi screamed as the brunette boy picked up his girlfriend, lost his footing and launched them both into the sea. They emerged giggling and holding each other close, although Kairi made sure to slap him lightly. Selphie huffed then.

"Another Summer is coming up and I'm still single," she sighed. "I want what they have!"

"Now, now, Selph, I'm sure you'll meet someone," Olette patted her on the back, but the mousy brown haired girl wasn't placated.

"Too bad Wakka couldn't make it today," Roxas let slip before he could stop himself, and he and Sora fell into fits of laughter while everyone else looked confused.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Selphie pursed her lips, glaring daggers at Roxas.

"Yeah Roxas, what _are_ you talking about? Selphie totally likes Riku," Kairi teased, and Selphie turned beet red.

"Kairi, shush! I do not!"

Unfortunately, Riku was in earshot and Axel hooted into the air: "Ooooh, Riku, go for it!"

"Huh!? Shut up, Axel!" Selphie shouted, but Riku had suddenly grabbed her around the waist in a similar fashion to Sora and they both fell into the water. Everyone burst into mixtures of laughter and anticipated remarks as they emerged; the sun was shameless for Selphie's completely blushing cheeks and Riku was laughing boyishly.

"S-Stop teasing me!" Selphie wailed, but Riku splashed her and she chased after him, eventually succumbing to girlish giggles.

"Oh, Selphie…" Naminé said to herself, bemused. Eidolons help them if those two ended up getting together. Soon the whole group would be paired up…

Which brought her thoughts whirling back to Roxas. She looked over and saw him wrestling in the water with Hayner, both boys laughing. Helping Xion had been a great distraction, but in all honestly, she couldn't get him out of her head. She kept reliving their dance lesson and grew more embarrassed and giddy with every recollection. She also felt terrible for avoiding him again these last few days. What kind of signal would _that_ send? She knew she was acting out of character around him again. She just wanted to be completely sure of her feelings before she went and got his hopes up…

She found herself staring. She hoped nobody noticed – she was turning as red as Selphie was a few moments ago and quickly slapped her cheeks. She'd seen Roxas shirtless plenty of times before… they went on beach trips every summer. But now that she was thinking of him like… like _that_ … she couldn't bring herself to look at him without getting embarrassed. She felt tingles rush down her spine and she focused on Kairi and Sora off to the other side, but this didn't help either. It just made her think about how they might be just as happy as those two were… and it also reminded her of what Kairi said.

"Hey," a voice sprang to life behind her, and Naminé squealed as she jumped and turned to Roxas. He was chuckling. "Geez, you're jumpy! Did you think I was Riku?"

Naminé relaxed slightly. "Well, I wouldn't wanna be tackled unexpectly like that! Especially by Riku."

Another laugh. "I'll tell him you said that. Hey, listen, I just wanted to tell you something," he started, and Naminé felt a wave of butterflies in her stomach. She prayed to the Eidolons that he wouldn't mention their dance lesson. "I think you did a really nice thing for Xion. Without you, she never would've approached us, even with Axel teasing her. You're amazing, you know that?"

Oh, how compliments from Roxas were so not helpful right now! Naminé faltered under his gaze, but she felt warm from his genuine words. "I-It was nothing. I know what it's like to be shy, so I just wanted to help her out. Once you get to know her, she's really nice."

Roxas nodded with a smile. "It may be nothing to you, but I'm sure to her it means everything." They both looked in Xion's direction and found she had braved further into the water, splashing with Olette and Kairi.

"Yeah… it makes me really happy," Naminé smiled, then felt the unpleasant feeling of wet on wet skin as Roxas patted her shoulder.

He pulled away then, looking a little awkward. He wanted to say something about Naminé avoiding him, and if it had anything to do with the other day… but how would he bring it up without sounding selfish or ungrateful? He was confused enough as it was without her dodging him the past few days. It just seemed to convince him that she was uncomfortable or didn't like him in that way. No matter how many times Sora or Kairi encouraged him to give it a chance… he just didn't know what to do.

So he did the only thing he felt he could in that moment: he sent a large splash of water her way, and revelled in the way she giggled and retaliated, chasing him in the water as they had done every time they went to the beach. At least this way, staying just friends, this would always be a constant. Spending time with her and making her laugh. Even if she never knew about his feelings…

The day wore on and people slowly started to get tired and rest on the beach, under the shade of the palm trees. Selphie and Kairi were sunbathing on the rocks, while Riku and Axel seemed to have boundless energy and played marco polo. Xion was showing her seashell collection to Naminé, and Sora and Roxas were traversing the shoreline, chatting. Out of earshot from everybody else, Roxas had to open up about his feelings.

"She's been avoiding me…" he said slowly, looking back at the group where Naminé was talking with Xion. "I freaked her out. She must think I was coming onto her or something and now she can barely look at me."

Sora's brain was bursting to tell him the truth, but he restrained himself, hurling a jellyfish leg into the ocean. "She's just been busy showing Xion around, that's all. I'm sure it's got nothing to do with your dance lesson. You guys were messing around just before!"

Roxas nodded. "You're right… I'm just sick of feeling like this. Like I'll be stuck liking her forever and worrying about wrecking what we have. You know?"

Sora sighed. "I know. But I'm sure even if the worst happened and she found out and ended up not liking you," he said at lightning speed, hoping Roxas wouldn't pick up on his nervous tone, "she'd still be your friend in the end. So… just go for it!"

Roxas looked away, still unsure. Even if they stayed friends, it wouldn't be the same ever again. There'd always be that awkward tension… No, unless he got a clear sign from her, he wasn't going to act on it.

"I've already decided to get over her, Sora. I need to… for both of our sake's." He said with finality. Sora's eyes bulged with panic.

"But what if-"

"Sora, come here for a second!" Kairi called out from the rocks, and Sora almost swore under his breath.

"Coming!" He called out, then turned back to Roxas. "I'll deal with you later. Just – don't give up, okay?" The brunette ran off to see Kairi, but his words still hadn't convinced Roxas. The blonde boy kicked at a shell absently, but he heard a soft gasp behind him.

He turned to see Xion, her hand outstretched and a look of shock. He realised she had been reaching for the shell.

"Oh- I'm sorry! Here…" He picked it up and handed it to her, and she took it delicately in her hands.

"Sorry… I want to keep some shells to remember this day," she said quietly, her voice muted by the rush of waves against their feet.

Roxas smiled. "Well, that shell's nothing. I'll find you a proper one."

He waded further along the shore towards the rocks, where the ocean met the tiny pools and sea creatures found their refuge. He searched for a while, Xion watching curiously as he expertly navigated the water. Finally, he pulled out a large and beautiful white shell, perfectly shaped and clean.

He dusted it off before turning to her, the light from the midday sun shining on his hair. "Here – this is a _real_ shell."

"Thanks, Roxas," she smiled as she took it, admiring its beauty.

"It's great living near the beach. You'll never want to go back to city life after this," he said warmly, and she met his eyes. "You're a part of the group now, so sadly you'll have to put up with our shenanigans. That okay?"

Xion giggled slightly, holding the shell close to her. "I think that'll be okay."

Roxas nodded with a smile. "Good. Take good care of that shell, okay? That symbolises our friendship, you know."

She looked away, suddenly nervous again, but nodded. "I will."

"Yo, shorty! Stop trying to steal my bestie!"

The tender moment was torn asunder by Axel floundering towards the two, but they both laughed.

"I thought you said you could have two best friends? So can Roxas," Xion teased Axel in return for the first time since they'd met. Axel was nearly floored by the reaction. He looked so shocked that Roxas burst into laughter.

"You're getting too cheeky for my liking, kid. Go back to being scared and nervous!" He splashed her then, and she ran away with a scream. Naminé watched from the beach, smiling at how well Xion was adjusting to their crazy group. She simply knew that Xion would bring wonderful things to the gang.

x-x-x

The weekend disappeared quickly and the school week began anew. Everyone was getting excited about the year 9 create festival - posters were beginning to pop up all over the walls, including the poster for the 'High School Musical Jnr' play. Every time they walked past one, Selphie would beam with pride and say "Don't you just love Sora and Kairi's pose? This was so much fun to shoot!"

Namine and Xion had become fast friends. Although she got along well with everyone, the stark haired girl felt most comfortable around her blonde companion. Namine marvelled at how much Xion actually liked to talk - she'd seemed so quiet and reserved, but get her talking about a favourite hobby and she just wouldn't stop talking! Namine was also happy to see Xion holding her own against Axel; every day he would visit her at her locker and tease her to no end, which often resulted in Roxas or herself jumping in on the fun. She wondered if she and Axel would eventually become close.

Unfortuantely, Xion only shared art class with Namine and spent most of her other classes with people outside their group. This was disappointing for two reasons: she got to spend less time with Xion, and she had to sit next to Roxas.

Actually, she'd been doing a pretty good job of _not_ sitting next to him. She always tried to park herself next to Kairi or one of the other girls, leaving Roxas to sit somewhere else. She could tell it was bothering him... He looked so disappointed every time she rushed to find a spot away from him. But she just couldn't face him right now! Every time she looked at him, she got embarrassed remembering their dance lesson, and her mind would wander into territories she'd never imagined before... Such as what it would have been like if they had stayed in the moment, and she had just leaned in a little bit closer until...

She felt herself growing hot and shook her head, despite being in the middle of English class. Kairi nudged her arm.

The redhead ripped a piece of paper from her book and quickly scribbled a note, passing it over to the blonde.

 _you okay there? you're pulling some weird expressions... thinking about someone in particular? ;)_

Namine smirked despite herself, then screwed up the paper and threw it at Kairi's head. Kairi simply laughed. She had to credit her best friend... She could read her mind.

She leaned forward and mustered up the courage to sneak a glance at Roxas. He was chatting animatedly with Sora and wearing his usual grin... She quickly looked away. Argh, she couldn't stand it! One minute he was her best friend Roxas, and now he was... _Roxas_. This incredibly amazing guy she could potentially date. She couldn't believe she was thinking about this... About telling him. What if they started dating, and then they broke up? She couldn't imagine life without him. Yet Sora and Kairi were taking that risk, and they were so happy...

Her thoughts were torn asunder as the bell rang. She almost breathed a sigh of relief... Until she realised the last lesson of the day was dance.

 _Stupid Roxas, being all cute and liking me... You've really confused me, you know that?_

By the time they were putting on their dance shoes and getting ready, even Selphie had noticed the slight tension between the two. Roxas would reach out to talk to her, but Namine barely look at him. When he went to chat to Neku, Selphie nudged Namine.

"What's going on with you and Roxas?" She asked, and for once she wasn't suggestive or teasing, but genuinely worried. "Did you guys have a fight or something?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that!" Namine shook her hands quickly. If Selphie thought they might be fighting, how must Roxas feel...? "I'm just not myself today. Must be getting nervous about the festival."

Selphie looked dubious. "You always spook yourself out, Nam! Honestly, you're the most prepared out of all of us. Don't worry!"

Namine nodded, and reminded herself just to ask normal around Roxas. Making him think she was angry at him would make things much worse.

Of course, acting normal was easier said than done when she had to look him in the eyes like they were in love. She suddenly realised this feeling must be what Roxas had been experiencing all along. Looking at him like this was torture! It only reminded her further of their private last week and made her feel weak at the knees. Even Miss Lockhart noticed she wasn't her usual self.

It was even worse when it came to the lift. Namine felt so stupid for not being a professional about it - she felt so averse to pressing herself so close to him that she made it awkward for Roxas to lift her up. He had to put her down before she could pose, and Miss Lockhart turned off the music impatiently.

"Alright, five minute break, everyone!" She called to the class, then waggled a finger at the two blondes, ushering them over.

"Look guys, I don't know what's going on between the two of you, but the festival is in just a few weeks. Will you both be okay to do it?" She asked sternly. Namine swore she was getting grey hairs from the stress of it all.

She nodded vigorously. "Yes, we will! I'm sorry. I'm just having an off day."

Namine's serious expression convinced her... Barely. "Alright, take a break and be ready to ace this dance!" She patted them both on the shoulder before leaving them be. Namine turned towards Roxas, looking down awkwardly.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me today." She said simply, then walked away towards her bag to get a drink. Roxas opened his mouth to speak, but it was too late.

The blonde boy ruffled his hair with both hands, wondering how one simple dance lesson could have ruined their friendship. He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been.

 _That's it... I bet she figured it out and now she's freaked out. Why did I have to hold her like that!? I can't believe I messed this up._

x-x-x

Gaaah, I hope this chapter doesn't feel rushed, but I wanted to get it to you guys! Plus this was the perfect spot to end the chapter. Sooo, what do we all think of Xion? ;) I actually love her haha. Heads up, you guys: there are only a few chapters left! Most likely three or four. It's about to get real dramatic up in here. How, you ask? I will reveal all in the next chapter! Send me lots of reviews and I might update in less than a month this time, haha! Much love lovely readers!

 **P.S. Want to help me choose what story to write after this is finished? Go to my profile and answer the poll! Thanks lovelies!**


	18. A very hectic lunchtime

I LIIIIIVE! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry again for the huge delay! I've honestly been stressed out of my brains these last few months with so many commitments – pro life tip, DO NOT do the summer semester at university. I died. Thankfully, I finally finished this chapter. Also, I lied – there's only ONE chapter left. So hold onto your hats! I hope you enjoy this penultimate chapter and feel excited for the upcoming finale!

x-x-x

"I seriously don't know how to be a human being."

Naminé was currently lying on her stomach on the Destiny High School theatre stage, her forehead resting in her hands. Kairi was dangling her legs over the edge nearby, going over her rehearsal script.

She shook her head dubiously at Naminé's remark. "It's true. You really don't." She laughed then, turning to her best friend. After drama class ended, she'd spotted a very pale Naminé walking past and dragged her in for a serious chat. The blonde had told her how she had been ignoring Roxas ever since their close call last week. "Naminé, you know there's an easy solution to this, right?"

Naminé let out a strained groan, then rolled over onto her back, shielding her eyes from the bright stage lights. "I know. I know I should talk to him."

"You already said you would, though."

"I said maybe! It's kinda scary asking your best friend out, y'know!"

"You've done it once before," Kairi said matter-of-factly.

Naminé sat up and turned to face her redheaded friend. "I know that too… but this feels different somehow. I mean, yes, Sora is one of my best friends, but it'd be like… asking Hayner or Pence out too." Kairi stuck her tongue out in a 'gross' fashion and Naminé giggled. "Exactly. Roxas is different… he's like your level of friendship. It'd be like asking you out. Only not as weird." Naminé sighed at Kairi's confused expression and lied back down on the stage. "I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. All I know is that this is way different to what I felt with Sora. It feels more… real? I don't even know."

"Naminé…" Kairi sighed, then shimmied closer to the girl and smacked the stage floor near her ears. "Tell. Him. He _likes_ you. You're clearly interested. What have you got to lose?"

"Everything!" Naminé shot up. "I know the same thing happened with Sora and it was fine. But that was only because he saw me like a sister. If Roxas and I broke up and we both felt that way… we could never recover. It's different once you've been together."

"Don't you think I'm terrified of that happening with Sora?" Kairi ask earnestly. "But that's the risk you've gotta take, Nam. I promise you, it's worth it."

Naminé sighed and rubbed her eyes. "You're right… I know you're right. At the very least, I have to tell him so I can finally look him in the eyes again. Every time I see him I keep reliving how close we were… and how he was looking at me… ugh, why was I so stupid?"

"You're both idiots. You belong together," Kairi said casually as she packed up her drama props.

Naminé faked a laugh. "Thank you for that. I will talk to him… It's just a matter of when. The festival is in just a couple of weeks. Then we've got our exams. Then I've got my dance exams. There's so much going on…"

Kairi sent a lewd smirk Naminé's way. "You know what really helps take the edge off school stress? Making out with your boyfriend," she winked. "You could have that too!"

Naminé rolled her eyes. "I really don't want to know, Kairi."

x-x-x

With two weeks to go until the Create Festival, the year 9 building's walls were completely covered in posters. High School Musical Jnr was the most popular event – Selphie had taken so many photos that there were about six different poster designs floating around, thanks to Pence's I.T. skills. The evening show was also an exciting event, and the running order had been posted up as well. 'So Stupid' would be the opening number for the night. Seeing this made Roxas' insides turn as he emptied his bag into his locker. He couldn't believe how much could change in one year – first he was dreading dancing, then he got to dance with Naminé, and he was getting better and better… and all of a sudden he'd ruined their friendship overnight. They were even supposed to have a private lesson this week, but he didn't even know if he should turn up for it. He sighed.

 _How can I show her that I don't mind just being friends? I can't just go up to her and say 'by the way, I don't like you or anything so don't be weird around me'… even though that would be a lie. I never want to dance again…_

"Hey, shorty! You're looking sprightly today!"

Roxas turned to see his best friend once again bothering Xion. He was resting one arm on top of her head and she did not look happy about it, smiling despite her quirked eyebrows. Roxas smiled – fooling around with Axel always took him away from his worries. He grabbed his drum sticks from his locker and ran towards the two.

"Stop annoying her or I'll beat you up!" Roxas teased, pointing an accusing stick at the redhead's face.

Xion giggled. "Roxas, that's a stick."

"It's a _drum_ stick, thank you very much," Roxas said matter-of-factly, "and I'm saving you here! You should be grateful!"

"Saving her from what? We're just having a friendly chat," Axel laughed, ruffling Xion's short locks.

"Axel, stop!"

Roxas laughed at Xion's poor attempt to bat Axel away. "I still have my weapon, you know."

Axel rolled his eyes, but luckily for Xion the bell went at that moment. "So guys, Riku and Terra are away today for some leadership crap, so do ya mind keeping me company?" He pulled a mock sad face to gain some sympathy.

"Hang on, let me get out my tiny violin," Roxas joked, earning a giggle from Xion.

"You hurt me, Roxas. Just for that you _have_ to hang out with me. Alright, see you guys later!" He waved as he ran off.

"He's really not bothering you, is he?" Roxas turned to Xion. She shook her head with a smile.

"I mean, he's not the type of person I'd normally hang out with, but he's funny," she assured. "And you're here to save me when he gets out of line, so it's okay."

Roxas smiled. "Good. Well, I guess I'll see you later then." He headed back to his locker, wondering how ditching the gang would go down, especially with Hayner. He still remembered that one time in year 7 when the brunette boy thought he was hanging out with Seifer… it took a lot of grovelling to convince him he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But maybe giving Naminé some space to breathe would be a good thing.

x-x-x

"I got our tickets to the show!" Selphie ran up to the group, waving a pile of tickets in her hand. "Best seats ever to see our favourite couple perform!"

"If you guys are going to kiss, please tell me now so I can sell my ticket," Hayner droned, sticking his tongue out in disgust.

"Honestly Hayner, they kiss all the time and you're fine with it," Olette rolled her eyes, and Hayner almost looked shocked at her brash comment, before crossing his arms and pouting. Olette did well to ignore him. "I can't wait for the show!"

"I'm starting to get nervous," Kairi held her hands to her cheeks, but she was smiling. "I can't believe we go on in less than two weeks!"

"And then we get to see these guys dance!" Sora laughed, pointing to Naminé and Selphie. "Hey, where's Roxas?"

There was a collective shrug from everyone around them, until Pence looked up from his laptop to speak.

"I think I saw him hanging out with Axel and Xion."

"Aw, I wanted Xion to hang out with us today!" Selphie whined, looking disappointed. Naminé couldn't suppress a chuckle, knowing Selphie wanted another girl in the group. "I guess I'll give her ticket to her later."

Naminé hummed vaguely, wondering why the three had left on their own. She thought it was wonderful that Xion was making her own roots now that she was more comfortable at the school, but she had to wonder… was Roxas avoiding her now? She really had to speak to him before their friendship completely crumbled.

When the bell rang, Naminé rushed to her locker to see if the three might have returned. To her delight, Xion was already there gathering her science books.

"Naminé!" She waved and walked over to the blonde. "Sorry, I hung out with Axel and Roxas today. Axel was lonely without his friends."

"Oh, that Axel," Naminé quipped with a smile. "He can't last five seconds without Riku and Terra."

"I was going to ask if you wanted to join us, but I didn't see you," Xion added. "Would you like to come with us at lunch?"

"Oh-um, I'd love to, but I really need to talk to Selphie about our dance today," Naminé said quickly. She wasn't the best at improvising so she mentally patted herself on the back.

"That's okay. I can't wait to see your dance," she smiled warmly. "I'll see you in art!"

Xion seemingly skipped away. She seemed to be in a very good mood. Naminé was glad she'd helped her find her niche. She turned back to her locker, but she couldn't see Roxas anywhere.

 _I have to talk to him. Maybe at our next private? Yeah, that might be good…_

Thoughts of the last private returned, but this time she simply wore a quiet smile, letting the excitement override her nerves. It felt good to let these new feelings about Roxas just… exist. She was so used to squashing them down, but simply feeling them made her realise how naturally they came to her. It was like… she was questioning why she hadn't felt this way the whole time. She felt her cheeks heating up again and shook her head.

 _Calm down Nam, you're not going out yet…_

Naminé headed for class with a similar skip in her step.

x-x-x

"And five, six, seven, eight! Concentrate on keeping those legs straight and those toes pointed! The judges will be watching you carefully!"

Naminé sucked in a breath as she pushed herself to straighten her back leg, elevating it as high as she could. In just two weeks, she and the rest of her class would be taking their dance exam. In two weeks, the create festival would begin. In two weeks, she, Selphie and Roxas would be on stage. And in just two days, she was meant to have an afterschool practice with Roxas.

In two days she may very well have a boyfriend.

"Eep!"

"Careful, Naminé!" Stella called out with a concerned tone, as the blonde girl almost slipped over during her turns.

Naminé's whole face went aflame as she righted her body. "Whoopsies!"

Stella shook her head sympathetically, then turned to change the player to the next exercise.

"What were you thinking about?" Selphie said quietly beside her with a cheeky grin. "It looked like you were thinking of someone special!"

"I-I was not!" Naminé stammered, feeling her ears turning red.

"You totally were! You had this goofy grin on your face like Sora gets when he sees Kairi!" Selphie laughed as Naminé pouted. "Come on, you'd tell me who you like, right?!"

"I was just being clumsy as usual, Selph," Naminé tried, but Selphie was having none of it. Luckily, Stella began playing the next exercise and there was no time to dwell on the matter. Naminé couldn't help but let the dizzying feeling inside her stomach settle into a pleasant buzz. She was actually looking _forward_ to talking to Roxas about this. About _them_.

"Good job, girls! Okay Naminé, can you please explain what a chassé chainé is?

"O-Oh, um, yes! It's the ah… c-consecutive turns travelling in one direction, connected by a step, together, step."

 _Close one._

Naminé took a moment to breath. She really had to concentrate on her other commitments right now. Between this, the concert, the festival, and not to mention school exams… well, Roxas could wait for a few more days.

x-x-x

The next morning arrived in a particularly unordinary fashion. Naminé arrived at her locker and, as was the norm these past few days, Roxas wasn't there. She sighed, wondering if waiting until tomorrow to talk to him was too risky. She'd called Kairi last night and told her how she was finally going to do it, and even Kairi thought she shouldn't wait. But Naminé liked the idea of talking to him during their private; it was such an intimate time between the two blondes, and she wanted it to be somewhat special. Plus, she couldn't back out of it that way.

Naminé gathered her books as the bell rang and walked towards her maths class – until she finally spotted a certain blonde boy. He was standing in study hall with Xion, casually chatting away.

Naminé was going to make sure this worked.

"Hey, you two!" She called out. Roxas looked like a deer in the headlights, but Xion waved kindly at her.

"Hi, Naminé. I was just telling Roxas how excited I am to see you all dance!" She said with her usual tiny smile.

"Yeah, it's starting to get a bit nerve-wracking, but I'm excited," Naminé nodded. "Roxas, I'll see you tomorrow for our private?" She asked, and she hated how she could hear the tentativeness in her voice.

To her delight, Roxas' eyes lit up like a child's at Christmas. "Oh- yeah. I'll be there." He looked surprised, but also… nervous?

"I'll see you both later," She smiled, and began walking away. Just as she exited the building, she felt tapping on her shoulder. She half expected to see Roxas behind her, but she found Xion staring nervously up at her.

"Um, I wanted to thank you again for everything you've done for me. I couldn't have made friends with you guys without you," she smiled gratefully.

Naminé couldn't help but smile. "Oh, it was my pleasure, Xion! You're a wonderful friend to have. Although," she began teasingly, "you've been hanging out with Roxas and Axel way more than me these days!"

Xion giggled. "I know, it was so unexpected. They're both great. But I'd love for you to join us as well." She hesitated for a moment. It seemed like she had more to say, but the bell rang and she decided against it. "I'll see you later, Nam!"

"Bye, Xion!" Naminé waved as she watched the stark haired girl skip away. She herself felt like skipping, too. She was finally going to say something to Roxas. It was consuming her every thought and she could barely concentrate. Last night's dance lesson was testament to that fact.

In fact, she barely concentrated through maths either. It didn't help that Roxas was _in_ the stupid classroom to begin with. He was sitting next to Sora, happily chatting away. Naminé caught herself staring more than a few times. She half expected Kairi to be teasing her, but even her redhead best friend had her head down, studying hard for the exams. The blonde girl sighed, knowing she couldn't let her grades slip for something as silly as this. Even when she had a crush on Sora, she could always concentrate on her work at school. This, however… this was all-consuming.

After snack the gang had homeroom, where they worked hard on their persuasive essays. Naminé couldn't help but think that she should've written a persuasive essay to her past self, telling her to stop being silly and just talk to Roxas. Argh, she couldn't concentrate!

By lunch time, Naminé was banging her head against her locker in frustration.

"Hard day?" Sora asked as he walked by the blonde's locker. He offered the girl some of his sea-salt flavoured crackers, but she shook her head.

"I don't think I can survive until tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?"

"My private with Roxas."

"Oh yeah!" Sora's eyes grew slightly wider. "Roxas told me about that. He was relieved you don't hate him."

"Of course I don't hate him! In fact… I…" Naminé had decided, there and then. "I can't wait. I'm going to tell him."

"Huh?" Sora said through a mouthful of food.

"I'm going to tell Roxas that I… I'd like to see where things go with him."

Sora almost choked on his crackers. "Really!? Right now!?"

Naminé closed her eyes against the onslaught of crumbs, but she couldn't even be annoyed. The nerves were consuming every fibre of her body. "Wait, I mean, I might… I have to find him first. I don't know… Ugh, why am I so indecisive!?"

"Kairi said the same thing," Sora chuckled. "Just go find him. You'll know when you see him."

"Okay… yeah…" Naminé sucked in a breath, then made her decision. "Wish me luck, Sora."

She willed her jelly-like legs to move and they obeyed. Sora wished her luck as she strode down the hall, her world blurring. She headed towards the senior buildings where Axel normally hung out. She was sure Roxas would be there today.

x-x-x

Selphie came bounding up to the group at the beginning of lunchtime, positively beaming. She even jeté'd her way to the ground and giggled.

"You have _way_ too much energy," Hayner said with wide eyes, but he looked quite impressed. The others laughed and clapped.

"Of course I do! It's almost time for the festival!" Selphie almost shouted. "We're getting our costumes in dance today too!" She looked around then for her dance partners in crime, and her face fell. "Roxas is gone _again_? And where's Naminé?"

The gang looked around, confused, until Sora piped up.

"Oh, I think Roxas is with Axel again. Maybe Nam is with Xion?" He scratched his chin in thought. This seemed to placate the excited brunette girl, but Kairi wasn't so easily fooled. She cast a glance in his direction and he caught her eye. He began winking at her with silly facial expressions and nodding like a bobblehead car toy. Kairi stared blankly at him in return.

"I need to speak to you," She said dully, and poked Sora on the cheek.

"Ooh, Sora's in trouble!" Pence laughed and the others joined in as the redhead dragged Sora away. They travelled to the corner of the year 9 building, out of sight. Kairi had a sudden flashback to earlier in the year when she and Roxas told each other their secrets. It felt like a lifetime ago.

"What's with the weird expressions?" Kairi asked, crossing her arms. "What do you know that I don't?"

"A considerable amount," Sora winked, earning a bop on the head. "Hey! It's gonna make you happy, y'know!"

Kairi cocked her head to the side dubiously. It obviously had something to do with Naminé. "You don't mean to tell me that Naminé and Roxas are…?"

He shook his head. "I bumped into her and she said she's going to find Roxas and tell him the truth right now!"

Kairi could've burst from the sheer relief. "Girl, finally! That's fantastic! I can't wait to hear all about it!" She clapped her hands together. "I wonder how it'll happen? Ooh, I wish I could watch! Wait a minute… do you know where she went?"

Sora shook his head. "No clue. You're not actually thinking of spying on them, are you?"

"Of course! It's our two best friends, after all! And I want a good story for the wedding," Kairi giggled, then dragged Sora off yet again. "Let's go find them!"

Sora sighed but willingly followed Kairi around the school. They started by trying the more secluded areas around the main buildings with no luck. On their way back towards the oval, Kairi saw a familiar group of boys sitting on the steps.

"Hey, guys!" Kairi waved and Sora followed her to greet Axel, Terra and Riku. All three boys were lazily slumped along the stairs in the growing summer heat.

"Eh…" Axel waved a hand moodily. Riku waved and Terra didn't even budge.

"Look at this sorry lot," Sora joked, kicking the bottom of Riku's shoes. "And you think I'm lazy!"

Riku sighed contently. "We've worked hard all year. A little rest never hurt anybody."

Kairi had no time for small talk though. "Axel, have you seen Roxas anywhere? He's not hanging out with us today."

Axel shrugged his shoulders with a measly grunt.

"Well, you're a big help," Kairi sighed, and before she could drag Sora off again Terra piped up.

"He won't answer you, he's really grumpy." He and Riku shared a smirk, and Axel grunted again.

"Why? What's wrong, Ax?" Sora asked.

"He's _jealous_ ," Riku teased slightly, earning a weak slap from the spiky redhead.

Kairi furrowed her brow, growing ever more restless to find Naminé. "Of who?"

"I'm not jealous!" Axel finally sat up in a burst of angry energy. "Xion and Roxas can do whatever they want, okay!?"

Kairi faltered. "Wait, they're together?"

Riku shrugged. "Axel thinks that Xion may like Roxas, so he's all bent out of shape," he explained, and Axel just grumbled.

"You like Xion?" Sora asked, but his voice was lost under the sound of Kairi's gasp.

She launched herself towards Axel and shook his shoulders. "What!? Xion likes Roxas!? Where did they go, Axel!? You have to tell me!"

Axel pulled himself away. "Why do you care so much?"

"Because – because someone else likes Roxas and she's going to tell him right now!" She looked imploringly at the redhead.

"What? Who likes him?"

Kairi was running out of time. "Naminé, okay!? Those two have been back and forth _all_ year and she's finally telling him today! So you have to tell me where they went _right_ now or Roxas might change his mind! She's been really distant to him lately so he might want to move on with Xion!"

Riku and Terra looked utterly lost as Kairi's voice grew very high pitched, but Axel nodded solemnly.

"So that's how it is, huh? I always wanted the two blondies to get together." He sighed. "I don't know exactly where they are, but it looked like they were heading for the portables across from the theatre block."

Kairi gave Axel the fastest hug in the world. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Sora, let's go!"

Sora sighed as his girlfriend went bolting in the other direction. He caught up to her and grabbed her by the hand. "Kairi, wait…"

"What!? There's no time to lose!"

"What exactly do you think you're going to do?" He asked, and Kairi stopped running.

"We have to tell Naminé about this! She might not find him and then it'll be too late!"

Sora thought for a moment. "Do you really think Roxas would say yes to Xion?"

"I don't know. But you heard him the other day. He thinks he has to get over Naminé so he's probably willing to move on at this point. We can't let that happen!"

She started running again, and Sora scratched the back of his head. "Yep, worst matchmakers ever…" He sighed, wearily following her.

The path to the theatre block ran right past the edge of the oval, where the others were still eating lunch. Kairi slid to a stop in front of them.

"Has Naminé come by here!?" She asked almost manically. The group fell silent in shock.

"Um… No?" Olette squeaked.

Kairi grumbled and ran off again. Sora soon followed after, awkwardly waving to the group as he went.

Hayner blinked. "See, I told you Sora getting a girlfriend would be bad. They've both gone crazy!"

"Something must be up…" Selphie said quietly, then got up to follow the two. She caught up quickly and ran alongside Kairi.

"Why are we finding Naminé?" She asked.

"Just find her! This is a matter of life and death!" Kairi shouted manically. Sora looked back at Selphie and shook his head with an embarrassed grin.

"Okay, _now_ I'm curious!"

Sora and Selphie slowed down, but Kairi bolted on ahead. "Let's just say Kairi is trying to play matchmaker…" Sora said carefully, but he regretted it the instance Selphie gasped.

"Oh. My. GOSH. With who!? Oh, it doesn't matter! Olette! OLETTE!" She shouted back towards the usual spot, ushering Olette to come over. "HURRY! WE'RE GETTING NAMINE A BOYFRIEND!"

"WHAT!?" came the muffled sound of Olette's voice, who stood up and headed towards the duo.

"Oh boy…" Sora sighed, turning around to see that Kairi had disappeared. Why did girls get so weird about this stuff?

x-x-x

Naminé wandered towards the oval, having just been told by Axel that he didn't know where Roxas was. He was rather gruff about it, too, but Naminé knew better than to provoke the fiery redhead. She didn't know where to start looking for him. Perhaps he was showing Xion around some more? Where hadn't she been yet? She supposed the music and theatre block would be a good place to start.

As she walked across the oval, she spotted a flash of auburn hair rushing around the corner. Was that Kairi? She seemed to be in a hurry. Suddenly Naminé was reminded of every romantic comedy she'd ever watched as Sora, Selphie and Olette took up the rear, shouting between each other excitedly. She felt a sting of envy at the fun her friends were having, but she had to talk to Roxas before it was too late. She continued along the path of the oval until she came to the outskirts of the portable buildings. She was about to head to the theatre block, but quickly hid behind a tree.

She'd found him!

Wait, why was she hiding? She was _trying_ to find him! Naminé internally slapped herself and re-emerged, heading towards the bench where Roxas and Xion were sitting. She hoped Xion wouldn't mind her borrowing Roxas for the rest of lunch – not that there was much time left. She walked towards them with purpose. She was going to tell him.

"There's something I want to talk to you about, Roxas…"

Naminé stopped. They hadn't spotted her yet, so she quickly hid behind the corner of the portable building. Xion's words were so serious and gentle… what was she going to say? Curiosity took over and Naminé listened carefully.

"What's up, Xion?" Roxas asked, concern in his voice. "Is there something wrong?"

Xion looked up and waved her arms frantically. "No, nothing's wrong at all! It's been wonderful here so far. I'm really glad I came to this school."

Roxas smiled. "I'm glad. I was afraid Axel had harassed you or something," he chuckled, and Xion looked down nervously. "So… what did you want to talk about?"

 _She's turning red…_ Naminé thought as she watched Xion fidget with the hem of her skirt. She could see Xion clearly, but she could only see the back of Roxas' head.

"I-It's hard to say…" Xion stammered, still looking down. Roxas tilted his head to try and get a better view of his expression, but her stark hair billowed down to hide her features.

"Well… is there another way you can tell me? Without words?" He offered. "Maybe a note, or… a gesture?"

"A gesture…" Xion said quietly, then finally looked up at him. She looked more nervous than ever. "I-I guess I could use a gesture. Um… close your eyes."

Naminé was gripping the side of the building so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. She'd been in this position before. She knew that look of nervous anticipation anywhere, because she had worn it before.

 _No. Way._

She couldn't tell, but she presumed Roxas had closed his eyes, because Xion suddenly wore a panicky smile. She bit her lip, then slowly leaned forward.

 _NO. FRICKEN. WAY._

Naminé felt her insides turn to lead as she watched Xion close her eyes and lean in even closer. She saw Roxas jump slightly at the contact, but he didn't pull back. They stayed close for a moment – a moment too long. Naminé couldn't look any longer.

She ran.

She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn't even know where she was going. Her vision was blurring and her legs were wobbling and her brain was fuzzy with anger, frustration, jealously and sadness.

She heard the chime of the bell. She heard the distant call of her best friend shouting her name. She thought she heard her say 'I finally found you!', but she wasn't sure. She kept running. She ran past a poster for the festival and remembered how she had to dance with Roxas. She didn't know how to feel anymore. She let the tears fall as she finally slowed down, unsure of her surroundings.

She felt empty and useless.

x-x-x

"Close your eyes…"

Roxas looked confused at first, but she did as Xion bid, wondering what sort of gesture she was going to make. He waited with his eyes closed. Nothing happened for a little while, and he thought of opening his eyes to see if she was okay – but then he felt a warm touch to his lips.

He jumped – out of shock or horror, he couldn't tell – but she pressed her lips more firmly to his and he didn't pull back. It felt so foreign, so strange… he thought of his conversation with Sora about kisses and how differently he'd imagined it. _This is my first kiss_ , he thought dully, his ideas of kissing Naminé first flying out the window.

He seemed to think a hundred thoughts during that kiss, which really only lasted a few fleeting seconds. The first obvious point of call was that Xion liked him. She had taken quick initiative to let him know that, and he found that quite charming. She wasn't afraid to tell him how she felt – but of course, they didn't have years of friendship to risk.

Then, something changed. As she tentatively moved her lips more snuggly against his, his insides actually fluttered with nerves. What started as a weird, empty feeling was evolving into something more soft, more intimate. He realised that there was a girl who actually liked him. She was sweet and kind and interesting, and she was his chance to get over Naminé. He could start dating her – _that_ would be a very strong sign to Naminé that he was over her. He could finally get over her!

Xion pulled away, and he opened his eyes. She was looking up at him with nervous anticipation and that small smile she always wore. The excitement wore off and in its place was sadness.

There was a major problem with this plan. Xion was sweet and kind and interesting… but she wasn't Naminé. And Roxas realised as he looked down at her smiling face that he wasn't over Naminé.

He realised he'd probably _never_ get over her.

Xion must have seen the sadness in his eyes, because she too dropped her expression of hope. "Was that… not okay?"

Roxas sighed, wondering what to say and how Sora had ever dealt with this situation. "No, it was fine… it was great, even. That was really brave of you, Xion. Thank you for being honest with me."

He paused, and she returned to fidgeting with the fringe of her skirt. "…But?"

"… But," he started, looking her in the eyes. "I have feelings for someone else. I'm sorry…"

Xion nodded slowly, and the two sat in silence for a moment. Suddenly, the school bell rang. She looked back up at him with urgency.

"Roxas… can I ask who?"

x-x-x

Woohoo, just one chapter to go! I really wanted to make this story 20 chapters but it's just naturally progressed this way. I can't wait to post the final chapter! I hope you enjoyed this and didn't completely forget what's happened in this story so far :') I know that happens to me when authors don't update for ages haha! I'm sorry! The next chapter will be up super soon, I PROMISE. Much love lovely readers!

 **P.S. This is your last chance to vote for the next story I'll be writing! Poll is on my profile!**


	19. The Final Showcase

THIS IS IT, YOU GUYS! The final chapter – and it is a doozy! I've lost a few of you due to delaying the last chapter for so long, but I hope those who have loved this story eventually find this – the ending – a satisfying one. And to those who have stuck with this story to the very end, thank you from the bottom of my heart! Without further delay, go and enjoy!

BUT FIRST: Finally, the song that inspired this entire story is revealed! I highly recommend you listen to it as you read the first part. It's not a well-known song – it's called 'Stupid' by JC. You can find it at this url on youtube - watch?v=6fJhLJE87sk. This is the song that my year 9 dance class danced to at my own Create Festival many years ago, which is why it's so special to this story. Alright, let's finish this bad boy!

x-x-x

Naminé couldn't even remember how she got to her dance class, but she'd somehow gone to her locker, retrieved her dance bag and walked to the theatre block in a haze of emotions. She was functioning on auto-pilot, and relied on the only way she knew how to control her emotions; dancing.

She was the first to arrive at the classroom, even before Miss Lockhart. She put on her dance shoes, stripped out of her school dress with her dance clothes on underneath, and stood in front of the mirror. Her face was ashen and her eyes were puffy from wiping away stray tears. She could feel adrenaline searing through her veins and started doing reckless leaps and jumps around the room, forgetting about technique and focusing on the force of her moves. She felt utterly stupid. How had she fallen so hard for Roxas? He had just proven that his so-called feelings were a facade all along. A farce to fuel his lust and nothing more, because when another girl came along, he fell right for her.

Miss Lockhart entered the room just as Naminé leapt into a floor roll. "Great work, Naminé! Feeling excited for the festival?"

Naminé snapped out of her thoughts and took a deep breath. "… Yeah. It's gonna be great."

As Miss Lockhart set up her stereo, Selphie came bounding in, her cheeks flushed. She ran up to Naminé quickly.

"Nam! Kairi and us girls were all looking for you! She didn't tell us who, though, uh… what's wrong?" Selphie noticed the look on Naminé's face and graced her with a sympathetic expression. "Are you okay?"

Naminé was about to speak, but the rest of the class began shuffling in, including Roxas, who was chatting with Neku animatedly. Her face turned cold. "It's nothing."

"Oh… but, Kairi was saying-"

"Alright guys, let's go through 'Stupid' from the beginning!" Miss Lockhart called out. "You've all been working extremely hard and it's time to show it. We go on in less than two weeks!"

"Well, I'll ask you later," Selphie winked, and after the class were changed and ready they stood in their beginning positions. Naminé was front and centre with Roxas.

"You ready?" Roxas looked over at the blonde girl, smiling. Naminé kept her eyes on the mirror, expression unmoving. She knew it would take a miracle to get through this dance. She simply nodded.

 _Who does he think he is? First he's madly in love with me, then he goes and kisses Xion? I can't believe this…_ Naminé shook her head, scolding herself for thinking these black thoughts, but they wouldn't stop. When the music started, it was even worse.

Naminé had listened to the lyrics of _Stupid_ for the better part of the year, and yet the true meaning of the song had been lost on her until now. Even when Sora had turned her down, she didn't truly understand it with the clarity she suddenly faced.

 _Just focus on your technique._

A body roll. A flick of the head. Stepping back, stretching one leg out. Flick to the right, facing Roxas. Look at his feet. _God dammit, don't look at his eyes._ Roll down, bending the knees, up, down, and up again. The moves were sharp to match the music, then slowed to a bittersweet lull to match the emotion of the chorus.

 _I was so stupid, stupid for trusting you…_

 _So stupid, stupid for loving you…_

It was at this point she felt her heart break in two. She had to press her hands up against Roxas', then push back harshly and bounce back in sync. That moment when she looked him in the eyes was her breaking point. She felt the tears stinging her eyes, but she had to keep dancing.

She gave in to the emotions and let them fuel her dancing.

 _Should've known you weren't the one…_

She put so much force into her expressions that she even scared herself. She had to get close to Roxas, looking remorseful, which wasn't hard to accomplish in her current state.

"Yes, Naminé! Excellent emotion!"

Miss Lockhart didn't know the half of it. Naminé felt like she was out of her body – every move came so naturally but her thoughts were still haunting her. She reached her arm out to the right while Roxas did to his left - she noticed him looking slightly concerned at her expression. Ha. If only he knew how much he'd hurt her.

She felt a tear roll down her cheek.

 _Just keep dancing._

Naminé felt her whole years' experience falling into this song, from the very beginning. In a flash, she remembered when Roxas was terrible at dancing, and she had helped him. Look at him now! He was in perfect sync with her moves… why couldn't his emotions be in sync as well? Why? How could Roxas do such a thing? She never in a million years would have pegged Roxas to be so cold.

 _Thought the remedy to a broken heart was you…_

She remembered how close they'd gotten during their last private, how they were kissing distance apart… Were his feelings fake, even then? Even she couldn't deny how strongly she was drawn to him in that moment. Even now, even when she hated him the most, she was drawn to him. It infuriated her.

 _But I realised that it was just nothing, and I never should've loved you…_

The part where she and Roxas stood back to back, she felt her body wracking and shaking. She stepped forward, one, two, three steps. It was time for the lift.

She turned to face him. He watched her in return. Though the moment lasted only seconds, Naminé felt time warp to a stop as they locked eyes. Was the emotion in his eyes from being in character, or from seeing her expression? Before she had time to figure it out, she was running towards him.

She was running out of control. Her legs felt weightless, like she could run forever. Roxas reached out his arms, ready to catch up and lift her up –

But she was going too fast. She threw herself at him with a force she didn't know she was capable of. It was too much.

What happened next was a blur for everyone watching. Naminé hit Roxas so hard that when he lifted her, he was taking all her weight behind him. He toppled, twisting his body to try and save her – but into doing so, he crushed her underneath his own weight. A massive thud sent shockwaves through the room, and Miss Lockhart quickly turned off the music. Naminé shouted in pain. Then, silence.

Everybody froze, shocked by what had just happened. Only Miss Lockhart kept her wits about her. "Are you two okay!?"

Naminé's body was facing the floor, and she shielded her face with her arms. A rippling pain was coursing through her ankle, which had taken most of Roxas' weight. But the force of all the emotion she'd just experienced hit her like a train. She started sobbing uncontrollably.

Roxas quickly got off her and hurried to her side, horrified at what he had done. "Oh god, Naminé! I'm so sorry! Where does it hurt? Is it your leg?"

He touched her shoulder, but she wouldn't show her face. Miss Lockhart reached down to touch her ankle, and that's when Naminé sucked in a painful breath.

"Selphie, take Naminé to sickbay," she ordered quickly, and together they helped Naminé up. Everybody stood back to give her some space. Roxas stood back hesitantly, feeling absolutely horrible.

Naminé hobbled off with Selphie, putting most of her weight onto the brunette girl. She tried to calm herself down, but the sobs kept coming.

"It's okay, Nam…" Selphie said quietly as they walked slowly down the stairs. As they walked, Naminé tried to take deep breaths, and Selphie watched on with a concerned expression. "Naminé… it's not just the ankle, is it?"

As eccentric as Selphie was, she sure knew how to read emotions. Naminé nodded, wiping her tears away.

"It's okay, we'll sort it all out later. Let's get your ankle fixed first, okay?"

Naminé nodded again, thankful for Selphie's thoughtfulness.

x-x-x

When Naminé finally got home, she'd never been more thankful to collapse into her bed in her life. Her ankle was strapped up - badly bruised but not broken, thank goodness – and she'd gone home early.

Though she was sick of repeating the phrase to herself, Naminé felt so stupid for everything she'd done today. From trusting Roxas' feelings to be true, to making a fool of herself in dancing and choosing emotion over concentration, for botching up the lift and hurting her ankle… every decision she'd made today was stupid. She had her dance exams, concert and the Create Festival in less than two weeks! Would she be able to dance?

All she could do was rest it and hope for the best. She'd already decided she wouldn't be going to school until she could walk again – she'd had enough experiences with injuries to know that the more rest she gave her ankle, the quicker she could return to the dance floor.

That, and she didn't want to lay eyes on Roxas for as long as possible.

Naminé sighed – she was emotionally exhausted. She turned her phone off, stayed away from all forms of technology, and indulged herself in one of her favourite books to wind down for the evening. Real life could stay on hold for now.

x-x-x

"I'm gonna call him."

Kairi was currently sitting on the edge of the Destiny High stage, pulling out her phone. Sora was nearby with script in hand while Rikku and Ven practiced their dance duet.

"But I asked him and he said he didn't see Naminé all lunchtime. Clearly she missed him," Sora explained. "Besides, didn't you say you found her?"

"I did, I even called out to her! But the crazy girl just kept walking!" Kairi flailed her arms. "Then she fell over in dance, so she got sent home! Why can't those two just get their shit together!?"

Sora looked concerned. "Wait, she fell down? Is she okay?"

Kairi mirrored his expression. "Selphie said she fell over during the lift with Roxas. But she also said that Nam was upset about something else."

"I wonder what?" Sora asked. "I mean, she didn't find Roxas so that can't be it."

"Yeah… I'd go visit her but we're gonna be practicing after school every day until the show. And we're here all day Saturday too!" Kairi crossed her arms. "I think I'll give her a call tomorrow. I'm sure she's upset about not being able to dance."

"Do you think she'll make it to the show?"

"Selphie said it was only bruised, and you know there's no stopping Naminé from dancing. I hope she'll pull through."

Sora nodded. "They were so close today… I guess Naminé will just try again another time."

Kairi rolled her eyes. "With their track record, I'm surprised I got my hopes up today. If they're not together by the festival, we're doing an intervention."

x-x-x

Roxas walked especially slowly on his way home from school that day. What a horrible day it had turned out to be. He couldn't believe he had dropped Naminé! His stomach churned as he remembered when Selphie teased him about dropping her, and now it had actually happened. She had trusted him. Yes, she threw herself at him like a freight train out of control, but it was his responsibility to catch her no matter what. Which brought him to his next dilemma… why was Naminé so emotional today?

Something had definitely gone wrong. It made him wish he'd spent time with the gang at lunch time today instead of Xion. He wanted to go and see her, but he knew he'd better wait until tomorrow.

Naminé had looked so sad… and he swore he'd even saw a tear fall as she danced. He wanted to take her hurt away, no matter what it was. Knowing he'd potentially destroyed her dance exams and the festival made him feel even worse. He never wanted to hurt her in any way, and he'd hurt her passion for dance by physically stopping her from doing so.

He knew what he was going to do after school tomorrow.

x-x-x

He didn't know, however, why he was being interrogated at school the next day.

"Are you _sure_ you didn't see Naminé yesterday? _At all_?" Kairi was asking him by his locker during recess.

"I promise you, I didn't see her," Roxas shook his head. "I wish I had, though. Something was wrong with her yesterday. And I made things worse by dropping her…"

"Accidents happen," Kairi said sympathetically, patting the blonde on the back. "I'm sure she'll just make it for the festival. I want to visit her, but I'm at rehearsals after school every day."

"I'm going to see her tonight," Roxas nodded, closing his locker. "Hopefully she's feeling better."

Kairi suddenly looked excited. "Okay, okay – tell me _everything_ that happens tonight, okay!?"

Roxas quirked his brow. "Why are you so excited?"

"Just… it's important!" Kairi huffed, and walked off towards her locker. Roxas sighed. What a rollercoaster he and Naminé had been on the last few weeks. Just when things were looking up, they suddenly came crashing back down. But he supposed a nice visit would be a good replacement for tonight's private lesson. Maybe she could watch him dance? Although that thought still made him extremely queasy to this day.

For the rest of the day, there was an odd air of unspoken thoughts. Everyone seemed to be holding back somehow. There was a strange dynamic between Sora, Kairi and the girls, and of course Hayner and Pence were none the wiser. Roxas wondered if his sudden return to the group had caused this strange feeling – he wasn't hanging out with Axel and Xion today. But Hayner quickly grabbed him in a headlock and told to never ditch the group again, and Roxas could only laugh.

The day seemed to drag on forever. Roxas was anticipating his visit to Naminé's house, and he was as nervous as ever. All he really wanted at this point was to cheer her up and repair the friendship.

Finally, the end of the day arrived and Roxas rushed home. He made sure to grab a small bouquet from the flower shop on the way, and quickly stopped into his house to grab his dance gear. He hurried down the street to Naminé's house.

He knocked on the door and waited. And waited. He knew that Naminé's parents would be at work, so he knocked again. Perhaps Naminé was sleeping?

But Naminé was not sleeping. Inside her house, Naminé was fuming. She knew who it was, and it seemed a night of rest hadn't settled her emotions. She wasn't sad anymore – she was angry. A third knock was the straw that broke the camel's back, and Naminé hobbled hopelessly up the hallway to open the door.

The sight of a smiling Roxas with flowers in hand might have softened her, if she had been half as angry as she was. She looked up at him in disbelief.

"Hey Nam…" Roxas said quietly, raising the flowers towards her. "I'm so sorry about yesterday. I feel terrible about dropping you…" He dropped his head in shame. "I hope we'll still be able to dance together at the festival. I thought maybe I could dance today and you could watch for now?"

Naminé felt her insides searing. Was this boy really serious? She drew her lips inward in frustration.

"No, thank you," she said, wanting to sound fierce but ending up sounding shaky instead. She hated herself for feeling this way.

"What…?" Roxas looked flabbergasted. "Naminé, I'm sorry for dropping you, but it was an accident…"

"I don't want to talk to you right now, Roxas," she said, sting evident in her tone. "Please, leave me alone."

"Naminé…"

She shook her head, tears once again stinging her eyes. She couldn't believe how hard it was to keep it together. "I thought… I thought that you…" she started, knowing she wasn't making sense, "… I can't believe you'd do this to me!"

Roxas was definitely confused now. Was this about a lift, or about how he'd acted during their last private? "Wait, what? Naminé, if I did something else to hurt you, tell me! I'd never-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses and I don't care if you don't understand!" Naminé shouted, regretting it even as she spoke. "If you don't know what you did to hurt me, then you clearly don't care enough to realise!"

"What!?" Roxas exclaimed, completely confused. Naminé was shaking, and tears were streaming down her cheeks now. It killed him to see her like this, and it hurt even more to know that he was the cause. He stepped forward, stopping her from closing the door on him. "Naminé, I would never hurt you intentionally. _Ever_. Please, tell me what I did!"

"No!" She shouted childishly, pushing him away so she could close the door. "I saw you! I can't get the image out of my head! Just leave me alone!"

And with that, she slammed the door. Roxas felt completely deflated, and utterly confused. She'd seen him do _what_ , exactly? What did he do!?

He sighed, unsure of what to do, and left the flowers at the door. He trudged home, not quite believing that he and Naminé had pretty much just had a fight.

When he got home, he tried calling Sora, but then he remembered that the brunette boy was at rehearsals after school. Frustrated, Roxas sat at his drum set and blew off some steam by playing one of his exam songs. Like dancing was for Naminé, drumming was Roxas' escape from the world.

He didn't drum with much vigour, though, and the sound felt dull and confused, like himself. He was about to stop when his phone buzzed. He almost had to do a double take when he saw the message.

 _From: Naminé_

 _STOP DRUMMING._

Okay, this was getting a little ridiculous. Naminé was actually scolding him for drumming!? Of course, that's how the relationship had started, but it had never been with this kind of malice. She was acting extremely emotional and downright reckless.

For a moment, Roxas lost his own temper. In a fit of childish frustration, he played his drums even harder. He could feel the sweat sticking to his shirt as he beat his drums hard, finishing with a harsh final beat that rung in his ears long after it had receded. He felt regretful afterwards, but he was just so frustrated! If she wasn't willing to tell him what was wrong, he couldn't fix it.

He felt guilty, confused, attacked and helpless. This wasn't what their friendship meant. This wasn't what he wanted. Had his crush caused all this? Would it ever be okay again?

Meanwhile, Naminé was lost in an amalgamation of feelings. She was frustrated, she was angry, she felt foolish… but mostly she just felt sad. When Roxas finally stopped his rash drumming, she just felt empty. How had this happened?

She took a deep breath and wiped away her tears. At times like this she would normally dance it off, but she had to rest her foot. She lay on her bed curled up and cradling her phone, regretting the harsh message she'd sent. She just didn't want to hear anything associated with Roxas right now.

Her phone buzzed, and she thought it might be Roxas, but she saw that is was Kairi. She took another deep breath, slapped her cheeks, and answered. "Hey, Kai."

"Hey! Sora told me about your fall. Are you okay?" Kairi's voice was muffled amidst the excited sounds of the rest of the High School Musical Jnr cast.

"It looks like it's just bruised and a bit swollen, so I should be okay. I'll stay off it for now."

She heard Kairi sigh. "That's good. Though I know you'd still dance on it even if you broke all your toes. Listen, I've only got a few minutes before I have to go back on stage, but Sora told me you didn't find Roxas at lunch. Did he come over?"

"… No. Since I can't dance we decided to cancel." Naminé felt horrible for lying to her best friend, but she couldn't face the truth right now. The truth that Roxas had betrayed her… it was too much to bear.

"Aww, man! You were so close! Don't worry, I was thinking about it and I think it would be super romantic to ask him out at the festival. Anyway, we'll talk about this later! Feel better Nam!"

"Thanks, Kairi."

The call ended and Naminé felt another sting of sadness. She was totally alone. She wanted to talk out her feelings, but at the same time it hurt too much to relive what she saw. She couldn't get it out of her head! The expression on Xion's face was burned into her mind, and she could only imagine what Roxas' face looked like…

She gave a stifled whimper as she buried her head in her pillow, wishing she'd never gone to look for stupid Roxas.

x-x-x

Naminé didn't return to school for the rest of the week. Kairi and Sora were at school until late every night, and everyone else was so caught up in their own duties for the festival that time rushed by in a blur. Kairi had no idea that anything was wrong, and Roxas ended up staying quiet about the whole ordeal. When Sora asked, he just said that Naminé was too sore to dance and brushed him off. Roxas didn't want to get the others involved while she was so emotionally charged. Everyone was in a blissfully busy bubble in the lead-up to the festival, which was the perfect distraction for Roxas.

According to Selphie, Naminé was sure she'd make it to the festival. Roxas sat in silence at this conversation, wondering why she would want to face him after their fight. Would she push him off the stage? Okay, that was a little extreme, but he had to admit he was worried. He just wanted to fix what he had broken.

It was even worse when Miss Lockhart told Roxas the bad news in dance class.

"Listen, I know Naminé is still going to turn up to the festival since nothing can stop that girl," the stark haired teacher explained, "but I'm pulling the lift out of the dance after what happened. We'll go back to the original chorey. Let Naminé know, okay?"

"Okay…" Roxas sighed, knowing Naminé would be disappointed. He knew she wouldn't take the news well, especially coming from him. He walked back to where Selphie and Neku were chatting on the wooden floor.

"It's weird without Nami here, huh?" Selphie sighed. "She hasn't missed a single class all year!"

"Yeah…" Roxas nodded solemnly.

Selphie leaned forward. "Hey, do you know what's wrong with her? She looked really down the other day. I asked her about it but she said it was nothing!"

Roxas shook his head. "I'm not sure." It was the truth, too. He really had no idea why Naminé was upset before the fall. The look on her face while they danced still haunted him. Now he knew that he was the reason she had been so upset, but he still had no clue why. He wondered if the flowers he got her were still abandoned outside her front door.

"Maybe the pressure's getting to her…" Selphie said thoughtfully. "She normally gets really nervous about her dance exams. We've all taken on a lot more than usual this year!"

"Tell me about it," Roxas huffed, thankful his drum exams were over. Miss Lockhart called over the dance class, and Roxas felt miserable knowing he would be dancing without Naminé today.

x-x-x

Xion stepped into her bedroom, exhausted. She'd gone to visit Axel in the music room after school to see him rehearse for the festival, and she had spotted Roxas in the dance room. It made her heart ache.

She flopped onto her bed and faced the window. It was a glorious sunny day and the light warmed her. The bright sky reminded her of that day on the beach with everyone.

 _You're a part of the group now, so sadly you'll have to put up with our shenanigans. That okay?_

Xion sighed and sat up, leaning towards the top of her chest of drawers. On the top, next to a photo of everyone on the beach, was the seashell Roxas had picked up for her. It shone in the sunlight streaming through her window, a perfect pearly white.

 _Take good care of that shell, okay? That symbolises our friendship, you know._

Xion stared at the shell for a moment, remembering the way the bright summer sun had shone on Roxas's face, illuminating his bright blue eyes and his blonde hair. That was the moment her heart beat so fast she thought she might faint. That was when fell hard for that boy.

Scowling, she quickly grabbed the shell and stuffed it in the bottom drawer, then flopped back to her bed, curling up in a little ball.

"Geez…" she sighed, still feeling embarrassed about that day. She had felt so proud of herself in that moment… she had _never_ been that bold before. In hindsight, she didn't know why she felt so sure Roxas would say yes. She supposed the excitement just caught up to her.

Still, she was grateful that Roxas was so kind about it all. They were still friends… she had to be grateful for that.

Xion sighed again. She wondered if those two would ever get together. Hadn't they been friends since the start of high school? Why hadn't he asked her out? After he'd told her who he liked, she'd simply nodded and made a number of excuses before running away. Maybe he'd ask her out at the festival?

A part of Xion didn't want them to get together, but then she remembered the kindness of her new friend during her first week of school. Another part of her, a part she wanted to hate, told her to help them. To bring them closer, because clearly they couldn't do it by themselves.

She groaned. _You're too nice for your own good, Xion…_

x-x-x

Naminé was quietly studying for the English exam on her bed when she heard a knocking at the door. It was Sunday, so she found it a bit odd there were door knockers going around, but ignored it as she reread her essay. It was when she heard her dad open the door and the sound of four giggly girls burst into the house that Naminé knew she was in for a surprise visit.

Lo and behold, her bedroom door burst open and Selphie bounded in, followed by Kairi, Olette and Xion. Naminé tried not to make eye contact with the stark haired girl.

"Naminé! We've missed you so much!" Selphie jumped on the bed and gave the blonde girl a bone-crushing hug. Naminé giggled as her English book fell to the floor.

"I've missed you all too!" She smiled, but with a lot less energy than her hyperactive friend. Kairi also took a seat on the bed, while Olette sat on the desk chair and Xion leaned against the wall. She was keeping her distance.

"These are for you," Kairi smiled, handing Naminé a small bouquet of flowers. "We hope your ankle is way better!"

They were beautiful blue forget-me-nots. Naminé noticed they were from the same flower shop Roxas had shopped at.

"You're so sweet!" Naminé gushed despite the nagging feeling inside her. She took the flowers and smelled them. "It still hurts a bit, but it's on the mend."

"Try not to stress so much, okay?" Selphie added with a gentle air, "I know exams are stressful but you've never been more prepared! You got this!"

Naminé smiled, knowing Selphie must have been worried after how emotional she'd been. "Thanks, Selphie. I'm feeling a lot better now." They shared a knowing glance. "How have rehearsals been?" Naminé turned to her redheaded best friend.

Kairi pretended to look extremely cocky for a moment. "Oh, there's gonna be a standing ovation, believe me!" She giggled.

"Yeah, when Kairi and Sora make out on stage, that is," Olette added with a laugh.

"Guys, you're distracting from the real issue here!" Selphie interrupted, looking pointedly at Naminé. "Who is this boy!?"

"W-What!?" Naminé spluttered, hoping Xion wouldn't say anything right now.

"Kairi won't tell me who we were trying to find for you the other day! I'm DYING to know!" Selphie said manically, holding Naminé by the shoulders. Kairi and Olette laughed. Naminé noticed Xion in the background, looking incredibly guilty and biting her nails.

"You'll just have to wait," Kairi lectured the brunette, pulling her away from Naminé. "You'll find out at the festival. Right, Nam?" Kairi winked.

Naminé smiled weakly. How was she going to tell Kairi what happened? She'd be just as devastated as she was, and she wouldn't be surprised if Kairi decided to skin Roxas alive. More importantly, though… If everyone still had no idea what happened, did that mean Roxas and Xion weren't officially dating?

Naminé glanced at Xion, who was looking at the floor, deep in thought. She almost looked sad. Was Roxas seriously keeping her a secret? Was she just his play thing? She couldn't believe Roxas would ever stoop so low, but Xion's behaviour was sending her alarm bells. She didn't deserve to be treated like this. Naminé didn't introduce her to Roxas just so he could treat her like a side thing. Not that she would have thought in a million years that Roxas would do such a thing…

"I can't wait til then!" Selphie shrieked, bringing Naminé back to the present. Naminé sighed, deciding to play along for now.

"You'll just have to be patient, Selph," the blonde said, waggling a finger at her. "Besides, the festival is only a few days away!"

Kairi nodded. "Exactly, so rest that foot up," she warned with a stern expression. "I know you'll get up there no matter what, so don't injure yourself any more, okay? You still have the dance exams to go, too."

Naminé chuckled at Kairi's mothering nature. "I'll be fine." She took a moment to look at the girls surrounding her. "Thank you so much for visiting me, you guys. I really needed this."

"We're always here for you!" Olette nodded, leaning out of the chair to hug the blonde. Everyone nodded in agreement, even Xion.

Naminé still felt utterly confused and upset by everything that had happened, but she knew she'd always have her girls by her side. She had to be grateful for that.

x-x-x

The day before the festival arrived, and normal classes were constantly interrupted with students leaving to attend rehearsals. Miss Lockhart's dance troupe were a part of the chaos, and the class were currently camped out backstage, waiting for their turn. Yuna was currently on stage singing her solo. Roxas was constantly looking at the door, waiting impatiently. Naminé still hadn't shown up.

While most of the group were stretching or chatting, Roxas noticed Kairi peeking into the room, scanning the area. She locked eyes with Roxas and started ushering him over, waving her hand. Confused, he stood and stepped out into the foyer.

"Hey, Kairi. You guys missing the stage that much?" He chuckled, knowing the High School Musical Jnr cast had been hogging the stage all week.

"No, but we all love getting out of class, so we're sticking around the area," she giggled, "just don't let Mr. Leonheart know. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "You want me to tell Naminé…"

Kairi gently shoved him. "Come on! This could be your last chance! Think how romantic it would be to ask her out at the festival!"

Roxas sighed, knowing Kairi was oblivious to everything that had been going on. "Kairi…"

"What have you got to lose?" She asked with earnest.

He was about to retort, but he realised he didn't have an answer. What _did_ he have to lose? It seemed that he had done something to really hurt Naminé, and now she hated him. He was scared of losing their friendship all along, but now it was wrecked anyway. If he told her how he felt… would it change things? Would she forgive him for whatever he did? Would she open up to him? He couldn't see how things could be any worse at this point…

"… Alright, I'll consider it."

Kairi gave him a look. "Is that a… yes?"

Her suggestive expression made him embarrassed. "Don't look at me like that!" Roxas turned away with red cheeks. "I didn't say that. Go away, Kairi."

Kairi laughed. "You have no idea how excited I am! This has been the longest running matchmaking session ever, I hope you know."

"… We'll see if it'll be a happy ending or not," Roxas sighed.

"I have full confidence in you!" Kairi clapped, and gave him a chaste hug. "Don't chicken out, okay?" She waved as she bounded down the foyer and back into one of the theatre classrooms. Roxas sighed again, wishing he was still as oblivious as Kairi was.

He stepped back into the backstage area to find everyone heading towards the stage. He quickly followed them, finding Selphie in the middle of the stage in perfect Selphie-style.

"Alright people, this is it!" Selphie shouted excitedly, bouncing around the stage. All the girls were giggling and gushing, while all the boys were standing rather sultry.

"It's only rehearsals, Selphie," Roxas said flatly, to which the brunette girl stomped up to him.

"Don't you know what that means!? This is your only chance to get a feel for the stage before the real show! Do you understand how important stage layout is!?" She flailed her arms this way and that and Roxas looked simply stunned. Selphie was just as crazy as Naminé when it came to dancing.

"Okay, okay. But it's kinda hard to concentrate without…" Roxas trailed off, seeing someone hobble onto the stage.

"Naminé!" Selphie finished his sentence for him, running up to the blonde girl. They hugged tightly, and all the other girls huddled around her. Everyone was so excited to see her return.

"You guys are gonna make me cry!" Naminé stammered, stunned by the support of her dance troupe.

"You're still limping. Will you be able to dance?" Yuna asked with concern, and Naminé nodded.

"Don't worry, I've danced on worse injuries."

Roxas stayed away from the huddle, letting Naminé have her moment with the girls. His heart was hammering so fast he felt sick. Would she even look him in the eye?

Soon the excitement dwindled and everyone dispersed to stretch before the rehearsal. Roxas saw Naminé talking to Selphie, before catching his eye and hobbling over to him. His heart rate tripled in speed.

"Selphie says you have some bad news for me?" She asked, cutting to the chase. Roxas stumbled over his words.

"Ah… yeah, Miss Lockhart told me she's pulling the lift."

Naminé nodded, looking down in thought. "Well, she can think again. We're definitely doing the lift."

"What?"

Naminé forced herself to look him in the eyes. She tried to push back everything from the last week. She just wanted things to go back to normal. "We won't do it today, but tomorrow night I want to do the lift."

Roxas looked deeply concerned by her crazy insistence. "But… Naminé…"

She knew what he was trying to get at, and took a deep breath. "… I trust you, Roxas."

Time seemed to slow down between the two as she said those words, and there was an intense, calculating moment. Roxas was trying to figure out if she was telling the truth, but the words had touched him to his core. And Naminé… well, she knew the fall was her fault, and she _did_ trust him to catch her… but that was the extent of her trust in him. The phrase was a lie when it came to his character.

"Naminé!" Miss Lockhart called out, hopping on the stage with a clipboard in hand. "It's great to have you back. Are you good to dance?"

"Yes," Naminé said with confidence. Miss Lockhart smiled with pride.

"Good. And Roxas told you about the lift?"

"Yes…" she said with less certainty, feeling bad for going against her teacher's wishes. But this lift was extremely important to her, and she wasn't about to let it go.

"Alright, let's get started! We only have 20 minutes on the stage, so make it count!"

They managed to squeeze in four run-throughs of the dance, and each time Miss Lockhart praised them for their efforts. It had truly come together well and Roxas was finally feeling comfortable in his role. Naminé danced to her usual standard, but between each run she would kneel to the ground and massage her ankle. Roxas wanted more than anything to give her support, but he kept his distance.

After the final run-through, Miss Lockhart clapped hard. "Absolutely fantastic, everyone! Just a few little pointers – I know the stage is much bigger than our dance classroom, so try to spread out a little more and cover that space. Keep your movements BIG – you can stretch out without knocking people over. Don't be afraid. Other than that, you guys absolutely nailed it. You're ready for tomorrow!"

The whole class clapped and fell into hugs and fist bumps of triumph, and the class quickly retreated to allow the next act to rehearse. Everyone gathered their gear, changed back into uniform and begrudgingly returned to class. Roxas noticed Naminé was lagging behind, slowed down by her ankle, and waited for her. Soon, everyone had left and it was just the two of them.

He watched tentatively from afar as she re-bandaged her ankle. She knew he was there – she could see him from the corner of her eye. Was he seriously still wanting to patch things up? After what he did? He was kidding himself.

After the bandage was secure, she sat in thought for a moment, wondering if he would initiate a conversation. He didn't say anything. She sighed and finally looked at him.

They locked eyes and neither of them spoke. Naminé thought she'd be angry, but when she looked at him, she just felt sad. This was the Roxas she had adored since the beginning of high school. One of her best friends in the whole world, the guy who had supported her through her heartache, and the guy she had come to fall for. Looking at his face now, she still couldn't believe his actions. Her gaze flickered back and forth between his eyes, and she felt her own start to well up. How could everything change so much in just one year?

In turn, Roxas couldn't tear his gaze from her miserable expression. He wanted to know so desperately what she was thinking. But she wasn't saying anything. Her expression pierced into him, taunting him, until he finally decided to follow Kairi's advice.

He stepped closer, slowly, until he was crouching down beside her. She was cradling her ankle and turning her body away from him, but she didn't once break eye contact. He didn't either. Neither of them dared to look away, afraid to break the fragile moment.

Finally, he spoke. "Naminé… I know you're mad at me. I know you're hurt. And I'm so sorry I did this to you." He watched her carefully. "Whatever it is I did, I'm sorry. I would never, ever hurt you. I promise you that."

She felt more tears stinging her eyes, but she couldn't break away from the intense moment. There was nowhere to run.

He continued. "Naminé… earlier today you said you trusted me. Do you?" He asked with earnest. "Do you trust me? Because I have to confess… I haven't been honest with you."

He couldn't believe it. He was going to tell her. This definitely wasn't the way he'd envisioned it, but his heart hammered nervously all the same. He was going to tell her he loved her.

"… I know."

Her sudden words stopped him in his tracks, confusing him. "Huh?"

"I know you haven't been honest." Naminé said, a quiver in her voice. She finally broke eye contact with him, looking downwards. "That's what makes it hurt so much…"

Roxas furrowed his brow, unsure of what she meant. "What do you…"

"How could you do that, Roxas? How could you treat anyone like that?" She wanted to shout, but her voice was barely above a whisper.

Roxas could feel everything he knew spiralling out of control again. He had to know what he did. "What are you talking about, Naminé?"

Naminé stood awkwardly, and Roxas quickly followed, trying to steady her. She pushed him away.

"You still don't know what you did? Seriously?" Naminé spat, then began to hobble towards the door with her dance bag.

"No, I don't," Roxas said firmly, and she stopped. "I don't know what I did to hurt you, and if you expect us to fix things, you have to help me understand-"

"Well, maybe I don't want things to be fixed!" She shouted, turning back towards him. It wasn't true, of course. She wanted everything to be fixed between them, but she just didn't see that happening. "Maybe I can't look at you the same way anymore after what you did!"

"What did I-"

"Xion, okay!?" She finally shouted against her better wishes. They stood in silence for a moment.

"Xion…?" Roxas said slowly, finally putting the pieces together.

"I saw you kissing her!" Naminé half-shouted, half-cried. "It's bad enough that you'd go kissing another girl when you claim to love me-"

Roxas blinked. "Wait, who told you that!?"

"- but to treat Xion like dirt and not even ask her out is even worse!"

Roxas started panicking as this new wave of information hit him. Against it all, one thought was repeating in his mind: _she knows you love her_. All of his fantasies of telling her he loved her flew out the window as this horrible moment took their place.

"I'm leaving."

"Naminé – wait!" He blocked the door so she couldn't leave. "That wasn't anything! I promise you! Yes, I _did_ kiss Xion, but then I stopped it! She was telling me she liked me!"

"The kiss seemed to last a pretty long time," Naminé said darkly, trying to shove him out of the way.

"Well, I – I just wanted to let her down gently! I promise you, Xion and I are _not_ together!"

Naminé finally succeeded in pushing the boy to the side, and opened the door. "Right, because she's just your little secret, right? That's why you always went off with Axel and the others, to make out with Xion behind the portables."

"What!? _No!_ Naminé, why are you being like this!?" He shouted, but she was already hobbling down the hallway and other students were nearby. He wanted to chase after her, but the moment was gone. "Naminé…"

He couldn't believe what had just happened. He couldn't believe she'd seen him kiss Xion. He couldn't believe this all could have been avoided if he'd just told her the truth sooner.

What was he going to do?

x-x-x

Naminé was definitely not going back to maths class. She went straight to her locker to gather her things. Her eyes were filled with tears and she didn't know what to think. Was Roxas telling the truth, or was he covering his tracks? His explanations sounded pathetic enough. Even if Xion _was_ telling him she liked him, he was definitely enjoying that kiss. She didn't want to think about it right now. She turned off her phone, which already had a missed call from Roxas, and opened her locker. To her surprise, a note came flying out.

Sniffling back and wiping her tears, she dropped her dance bag and retrieved the note. It was torn from an exercise book and folded up. She unfolded it, a stray tear falling from her cheek and wetting the paper. Unfurling it, she found Xion's pretty handwriting inside. Xion!?

 _Dear Naminé,_

 _I didn't know how to tell you this, so I wrote you this letter instead. I don't know how to say (or write) this, but here goes. I told Roxas I liked him. I've had a crush on him pretty much since you introduced me to him, and I decided to tell him. I kissed him, but he told me that he already liked someone else, and that it was you. I felt horrible, because you've been such a good friend to me. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have any friends here. Anyway, I asked Roxas about it the other day and he said you were mad at him about something. I got scared that you found out somehow. I want you to know that nothing is going on between us, and he really really likes you a lot. So if you like him too, you should tell him. I think he's afraid to tell you._

 _Thank you for being such a wonderful friend. I hope it works out between you and Roxas._

 _Love, Xion._

Naminé shook as she read the letter. She blinked stupidly, re-reading it twice. She glanced over at Xion's locker in the distance, utterly stunned.

She couldn't believe what she was reading. Roxas hadn't betrayed her after all? And Xion wrote this letter even though she must be hurting? She was actually _helping_ her get together with Roxas?

…What a mess she had made.

Naminé felt utterly stupid. She wanted to find Xion somehow. She wanted to run back to Roxas. But the bell rang at that moment, and she didn't want to be seen by anyone. She quickly grabbed her bag, stuffed the letter inside, and hobbled out of the year 9 building towards home.

x-x-x

Naminé flopped onto her bed, emotionally exhausted. She couldn't believe how quickly she'd jumped to conclusions. The kiss had definitely lingered for a while, but maybe Roxas really was just hesitating because he didn't want to hurt her? It was definitely the kind of thought he would give to the situation.

Naminé let out a small yell. She'd messed things up! _Again!_ She was beginning to tire of yelling at Roxas after assuming the worst. She'd done it ever since they'd met, she supposed. Ugh. What a mess.

She lay on her bed for a while, thinking about the whole situation, and how hurt Roxas must be right now. She couldn't believe after everything they'd been through that she hadn't trusted him. Did she even deserve to be with him after all this? Would he _want_ to be with her after she'd yelled at him? Maybe he'd be better off with Xion after all…

Her thoughts remained in disarray as she tried and failed to study multiple times, until the hours dwindled away and she knew she needed to make a decision. She had to talk to him once and for all. She was so afraid, though. She was afraid he wouldn't forgive her. And why should he? Naminé had deliberately become distant from him, yelled at him, and didn't even try to sort it out with him. She'd simply let her anger bubble and spit until it all came down to their argument. Even Selphie had a better grip on her emotions than she did.

Naminé sighed and buried her head in her pillow, unable to piece her thoughts together. She really didn't know how to be a human being. After everything was said and done, though, she knew one thing for sure… she still loved him. She wanted to tell him that all was forgiven, but he had every right to be angry with her right now. What was she going to do!?

Her thoughts were suddenly shattered by a distant sound.

His drumming.

His _drumming._

His overplayed, near perfect, constantly thrumming, sound of her high school days gosh darn annoying _drumming_!

Naminé made up her mind. She quickly rose from her bed, hobbling on her sore foot, and walked as fast as the pain allowed her, out the door and down the street - following the sound she had grown to both love and hate.

The sun was beating down and her school dress clung to her as she limped. She felt absurd as she almost tripped tyring to increase her speed. The drumming became louder as she closed in on the front door, and rapped on it so hard her hand began to ache.

The drumming stopped. She heard rushed footfalls and the door opened to reveal Roxas. His eyes bulged slightly and he blinked stupidly. "Wha-"

"Your drumming is _really_ annoying," she said simply, mustering the harshest tone she could. There was an awkward silence as Roxas stood holding the handle, wondering if he'd opened the door to the past. He stared at her with confused, misty eyes.

She took a deep breath. "You know what else is really annoying?" She watched as his brows furrowed slightly, but when her eyes began to well with tears his shoulders relaxed and his expression became solemn. "You. You're really annoying, Roxas." Her lips began to tremble, but she continued. "The way you care about me is annoying. Your stupid adorable smile is annoying. Your friendship is annoying. But most of all…" She stopped to sniff, and a stray tear whispered down her cheek, but she refused to let her emotions get to her. "… The way you love me… is _so_ annoying."

Roxas wore a pained expression as he reached out to her, but before he could, Naminé had launched herself into his chest. She closed her eyes, but the tears began to fall. She pounded him on the chest with her fist. "You're so stupid, Roxas! You're so stupid for not telling me… and I'm so stupid for not telling you…" She spoke between bursts of sobs and drawing in breath. "We both care about each other so damn much that we don't want to ruin this… but we ended up ruining it anyway!" She pulled back then, wiping away her tears and looking him in the eyes. "I don't want us to ruin things anymore. I don't want us to hide our feelings because we think it'll all go away. I don't." She was barely speaking above a whisper now, and her cheeks were stained with tears. "I want you to be honest with me. And I promise… I'll be honest with you."

Roxas' breath almost hitched in his throat. His eyes darted back and forth between hers, glistening with tears. He took in a deep breath. He was going to be honest with her. He wrapped his arms around hers and pulled her towards him, and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate daze.

Both teens closed their eyes as Roxas pulled her close to him, moving his lips against hers with all the pent up anticipation seemingly bursting in this one kiss. He drew his hands up to her cheeks, tasting the saltiness of her tears as they fell. The kiss began to slow to a wonderfully sweet pace. Naminé simply melted into him, grasping his shirt in her hands to hold herself steady. It was heady, it was giddy, it was sweaty and stained with her tears… but it was perfect.

Roxas finally pulled away, his expression still pained and regretful. He pushed some of Naminé's blonde locks behind her ears. "I'm sorry, Naminé… I don't know why I wasn't honest with you. But I'm being honest now. I love you." Even though Naminé had known for a while, the words still hit her with a force she could barely take. "Ever since you knocked on my door and yelled at me…" He chuckled then, and she couldn't help but look down and giggle as well. "… in a very similar fashion to the way you did just then… It's always been you, Nam. I love you."

Naminé looked back up into his bright blue eyes, brightened by the sun, and couldn't stop smiling. "Thanks for finally telling me, you big dope." She leaned forward and kissed him slowly on the lips before pulling back again. "I love you too. I'm sorry about everything. I should have trusted you. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions." She buried her head in his chest.

He ran some fingers through her hair and breathed in her scent, sweet and wonderful. "I'm sorry, too. This wouldn't have happened if I had just told you sooner."

Naminé pulled back, tears still stinging her eyes, but she was smiling. "We're both idiots," she giggled, mimicking Kairi's phrase. "That's why we're perfect for each other, I guess."

Roxas chuckled, pressing his forehead to hers. "Yeah. I guess we are."

x-x-x

The day of the Year 9 Create Festival finally arrived. There were decorations everywhere, and posters for the musical had plastered the windows so much the sun could no longer penetrate the study hall. Students were running this way and that in preparation for the show. Olette and Naminé were helping to put up the art gallery in the foyer, while the High School Musical Jnr. cast were busy preparing for the midday show. The entire year level seemed to be attending, along with several familiar faces. Apparently Axel and Riku were taking advantage of the crowd by selling soda cans (which Mr. Strife quickly caught wind of), but Naminé was too busy putting up the art displays to sneak a peek.

"So what's this big surprise you mentioned, Naminé?" Olette asked as she pinned up her final piece for the year, a bright beach scene. "You know Selphie's going to explode from the suspense."

Naminé giggled. "I know, but you're just going to have to wait!"

Olette smiled knowingly, and the girls continued to organise the art gallery. It was almost time for the show.

It was with no surprise that the girls stepped outside to find Selphie bouncing up and down like a child on a sugar high, clutching her ticket. Xion, Hayner, Pence and Roxas stood nearby her, and even Hayner looked mildly excited for the show.

"Just so I can make fun of Sora for singing," he made clear when Naminé commented on his expression.

"You guys, the day is finally here! I can't wait to see everyone on stage!" Selphie giggled as she waited impatiently at the door. Just then, Riku and Axel sauntered up.

"Mr. Strife and Mr. Fair caught us red-handed…" Axel whined. "The year 7's were totally selling us out too!"

Miss Gainsborough began opening the doors, and Selphie bounded in quickly, ushering the group to follow her. Naminé shared a glance with Roxas, but they remained casual as they followed everyone inside the foyer and through to the theatre. They did make sure to sit together, though. Naminé noticed Xion sitting at the far end next to Axel, trying to steal a glance at her.

"This is it! Shhhh!" Selphie hushed as the lights dimmed. As the curtains rose and the Wildcat cheer began, everyone squealed and shouted with excitement. Sora was clad in his basketball uniform along with Tidus and Wakka and several of their other friends, singing and dancing to the upbeat song. The entire audience began laughing when Rikku came out in her giant blonde wig, acting as Sharpay. It was even funnier when Wakka had to pretend to be love-sick for the girl, and the guys in the audience were in stitches.

Later in the show, the meeting between Sora and Kairi took place, and Selphie couldn't help squeezing hands with Olette and Naminé, so proud of her friends. Taking advantage of this display and the dimmed lights, Naminé reached to her left and gently took Roxas' hands in her own. They shared a timid glance, and Roxas slowly caressed her hand with his thumb. A wave of tingles crept up Naminé's spine and she was thankful the dark theatre hid her crimson cheeks.

The show was absolutely amazing, and Naminé and the gang were constantly laughing, commenting and aweing at the performance. Finally, the Wildcat cheer appeared again for the final dance, and Sora and Kairi turned to each other for their chaste on-stage kiss. It definitely lingered a little longer than the script probably called for, but Selphie squealed a high note all the same. Soon, the cast were all holding hands and bowing, and everyone stood for a rowdy applause. Axel and Riku made sure to whoop the loudest, while Selphie's cheers could probably be heard from outside.

The gang quickly ran to the foyer to meet their friends, and barraged Sora and Kairi with tight hugs.

"You were so amazing!" Selphie gushed, giving Sora and tight squeeze. "We had so much fun watching you!"

"Absolutely brilliant!" Olette added, clapping her hands together. "Way better than the real movie!"

"I'm so proud of you two," Naminé said sincerely, giving her best friend a hug. Kairi and Sora were absolutely beaming. Tidus and Wakka quickly came running out of the dressing rooms to join the entourage, ruffling Sora's spikes and generally causing a fuss.

"I guess you guys were pretty okay too," Selphie said casually, earning her a headlock from Tidus and a hair ruffle from Wakka. "You guuuuys!"

When the excitement of the show finally died down, and several hundred photos were taken on Selphie's phone, the troupe was ushered out of the foyer to clean up for the festival. The various stalls were already set up and ready to go, and classrooms were transformed for the day. Everyone began to split off to enjoy different aspects of the festival vibe, which was when Naminé quickly took Roxas' hand and lead him into the art gallery before anyone else spotted them.

"That show was so amazing, wasn't it?" Naminé gushed, leading Roxas towards her section of the gallery.

"It really was," Roxas smiled, then looked a little awkward. "Um… Nam, we're kinda…"

"… Oh!" Naminé quickly let go of Roxas' hand. "Sorry! I keep forgetting we're keeping it a secret…"

Roxas chuckled. "It's okay. It won't be for much longer."

Naminé smiled a giddy smile, then looked away to avoid turning red again. "Um, here's my part of the showcase!" She pointed to one of the displays, where a large, colourful abstract piece was pinned, and a small bound book was nestled below. "This is my major piece for the semester, and this is a mock-up of a children's book…"

"Wow, Nam…" Roxas gently turned the pages of the book, then took in the bright colours of the large piece. He shook his head out of disbelief. "You're really talented, you know that? And not just at art. You're amazing."

Naminé twirled her body this way and that, blushing. "Thanks, Roxas. I honestly don't know how I pulled it off after the year we've had."

Roxas chuckled. "Can we please have less drama next year?"

"With Selphie in our group? I can't guarantee anything."

The two eventually caught up with the rest of the gang and enjoyed the treats and games the festival offered. Soon, the sun began to set and it was time for the Create Festival night show to begin. Naminé, Roxas and Selphie said goodbye to everyone and headed backstage to get into costume. It was a simple hip-hop style costume in dark colours, perfect for the mood of the song.

'Stupid' would be the opening act for the show, and Naminé took a deep breath as she put on her dance shows. The entire year had lead up to this moment, in more ways than one, and she could feel her heart pounding hard.

"Guys, group huddle!" Selphie called out, and the troupe came together, wrapping their arms around each other. "We've all worked super hard this year and it's paid off! Let's do the best dance we can!"

Everyone cheered, and the huddle broke apart with girls hugging each other and guys slapping each other's backs. Selphie gave Naminé a tight squeeze. "Can you believe this, Nam!? We're finally here! Oh, this is my favourite dance we've ever done together!"

"Mine, too, Selph," Naminé smiled, giving her brunette friend a second hug. "I'm so proud of how far we've come!"

Miss Lockhart stepped into the dressing room, her face beaming. "You guys look fantastic! Are you ready to go on?"

Everyone nodded and agreed excitedly, and began following their teacher towards the backstage area. Roxas lingered behind, tapping Naminé on the shoulder. "Nam… are you _sure_ you want to do the lift?"

Naminé looked him in the eyes with determination. "Yes," she said simply, grasping his hand in her own and giving it a squeeze. "We can do it. I trust you."

Roxas smiled and nodded. "I trust you, too."

They quickly joined the others backstage and waited in the wings. Miss Gainsborough was at the mic, introducing the night show and talking about how hard the year 9's had worked this year. Finally, she called to the stage the year 9 dance troupe, and everyone stepped onto the stage and into their positions. The curtain was still down, hiding their form.

Naminé looked back at everyone and smiled. This was always her favourite part of dance concerts – being behind the curtain, looking at her teammates and sharing nervous and excited smiles. She looked to Selphie, who gave her a huge cheesy smile and a thumbs up. She looked to Roxas, whose face beamed with pride. Look at how far they'd come.

The curtain rose and the music faded in. Naminé could see her friends in the front row, and a wave of adrenaline drove her dance movements to a high energy level. Everyone was in perfect sync as they moved sharply to the music.

 _I was so stupid, stupid for loving you…_

 _So stupid, stupid for trusting you…_

Naminé felt a strange wave of emotions flood through her as the chorus rang and she danced, knowing that this song would become something nostalgic and special. She almost didn't want the dance to end as she pressed her hands against Roxas' before pushing back.

Soon, the moment arrived once more. It was time for the lift. Naminé faced Roxas, the two of them looking anguished to match the emotion of the song. She could see Miss Lockhart in the wings, looking nervous. She began to run, and their teacher knew what was going to happen.

Naminé leapt towards Roxas, the highest she had ever jumped, and Roxas caught her gracefully, lifting her even higher. They spun on the spot, Naminé reaching for the roof, and the sound of the audience cheering and clapping was deafening. Roxas put her back down and the dance continued, and Naminé couldn't help but glance at Miss Lockhart, who looked utterly stunned and proud. They did it! They nailed the perfect lift! Naminé mentally ticked the goal off her dance dream list.

The music began to slow and face, and she and Roxas were back to back, slowly stepping away from each other with their hands outstretched. They turned away, looking solemn, and their heads slowly rolled downwards. There was a moment of silence, and then the audience roared.

The curtain fell and the troupe fell into a misshapen group hug, jumping and cheering in disbelief. Miss Lockhart joined the group, tears stinging her eyes. Naminé felt like she might faint from the sheet emotion of the moment.

Quickly, they had to stand in a line and link hands for the second curtain rise, and the audience again cheered with delight as everyone bowed. Naminé could see Kairi clapping vigorously and her eyes looked damp. Sora was punching the air proudly, Olette was smacking Hayner on the shoulder and Hayner couldn't hide a smile. Pence was clapping hard, as was Xion, and Riku and Axel had their arms over each other's shoulders, pretending to be proud parents. Roxas rolled his eyes.

All their friends were here, and Naminé couldn't believe how lucky she was to have this amazing group of friends supporting her. She squeezed Roxas' hand and he nodded. Together, they stepped forward and bowed together, and another wave of applause hit them.

Naminé knew it was now or never. She turned to the blonde boy beside her, the boy she adored with all her heart, and leapt onto him in a tight hug, wrapping her arms around his neck. He caught her by the waist and they shared an intimate smile before closing in for a kiss.

The audience went absolutely mad. Naminé could hear Kairi's shrieks and Sora's shouted. Behind her, Selphie was beside herself. Axel made the loudest expletive she'd ever heard, and Riku whooped until his throat hurt. Naminé had to break the kiss just so she could laugh into Roxas' shoulder, and he laughed too. She looked out into the audience to see Kairi crying tears of joy. Sora was mouthing 'finally!' to the two blondes, while Hayner was cringing into his hands and Olette was rolling her eyes at the boy. Then she caught Xion's eye, and the stark haired girl was smiling a genuine smile that was so touching Naminé could almost sob.

The dance troupe waved once more as the curtain fell, and Selphie immediately hugged her two blonde friends. "HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS!? Oh, who cares, you two are the cutest couple _ever_! I love you guys!"

Naminé and Roxas laughed as they returned Selphie's hug, and they stepped off the stage together, arms over each other and basking in the aftermath of a truly amazing performance.

x-x-x

"You. Stinkers!" Kairi smacked Roxas on the shoulder as they met the gang in the foyer. "Why didn't you tell me!? I would have kept it a secret! Oh, it doesn't matter. Bloody finally, you two!"

Roxas scratched the back of his head sheepishly and Naminé looked at her feet out of embarrassment. "It's a long story, but we finally worked it out."

"I'm so happy for you two!" Kairi hugged the two, then turned to Sora. "See? Our matchmaking totally worked!"

Sora pulled a doubtful expression. "I'm pretty sure we just made things worse…"

Roxas gave his brunette best friend a blank stare. "Uh, yeah you did. You told Naminé I loved her before I did!"

"It was an accident!" Sora wailed, and Kairi patted his back while rolling her eyes. "And in my defense, she wasn't meant to tell you that!" Roxas could only chuckle and wave a hand at his friend, indicating all was forgiven.

"You guys are so cute together!" Olette gushed, and Hayner scoffed beside her. "Ignore him, he's allergic to romance."

"I am not…" Hayner mumbled, turning to his friends but not looking them in the eye. "I guess I'm happy for you guys…"

"Thanks, man," Roxas slapped his friend on the shoulder.

"He'll get over it," Pence waved a hand, "As long as you don't ditch the Struggle for a date with Naminé, that is."

Everyone chatted excitedly in the foyer for some time, and Naminé noticed Xion chatting with Axel and Riku in the far corner. She excused herself from the group and went towards them. Xion noticed her approach and broke away from the boys, meeting Naminé halfway in the busy foyer.

"I'm really happy for you, Naminé," she spoke before Naminé could, her small smile beaming.

Naminé put a hand on Xion's shoulder. "Xion… thank you for the letter. I know it must have been so hard for you. If it wasn't for you, I might not be with Roxas right now."

Xion looked down bashfully, knowing she'd made the right decision, even if it still hurt inside.

"Xion." She looked back up at the blonde. "You're a really amazing friend. I'm so glad we met. I hope you never forget how important you are to our group."

Xion felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she leaned forward to hug her friend. "Thank you for everything, Naminé. Thank you…"

The two stayed in a tight hug for a while. Roxas glanced over and saw the two, and couldn't help but smile. Through all the silly misunderstandings this year brought, not one friendship crumbled under the pressure. He supposed that was the great thing about their little troupe – above all else, friends were more important than anything.

x-x-x

 _Two years later…_

Naminé took a deep breath, smoothing out the pristine white dress she was wearing. Dressing up in dance costumes always made her feel elegant and beautiful, but this dress was on a whole other scale of fancy. The white satin gloves made her feel like a princess.

"Naminé, are you ready?" She heard her best friend call out, and Naminé emerged from the bathroom.

Before her stood Kairi, Olette, Selphie and Xion, all clad in equally beautiful white gowns. They all gushed when they saw their blonde friend.

"Oh, you look so beautiful!" Kairi stepped forward to hug her. "This is going to be so much fun!"

Selphie giggled between the other girls, turning to Olette. "I still can't believe you managed to convince Hayner to come to a debutante ball. What did you do, bribe him with skateboard gear?"

Olette blushed madly. "N-No, as a matter of fact, he asked me…"

"Are you serious?" Xion interjected, "Oh, he definitely likes you, Olette!"

"No, it's not like that!" Olette clapped her hands to her cheeks, and everyone laughed.

The doorbell rang, then, and Selphie squealed. "The guys are here!"

She opened the door and a slew of tuxedo-clad boys filled the room; Sora, his spikes looking more tame as usual as he went to kiss his girlfriend on the cheek; Hayner, looking utterly uncomfortable and standing awkwardly next to Olette; Pence, standing proudly next to Selphie like a protective big brother; Axel, handing a small handful of flowers to Xion; and Roxas, who greeted Naminé with an intimate hug and a glazed expression.

"Wow…" He said softly, holding her gloved hands in his. "You look beautiful, Nam."

Naminé smiled and swayed slightly, still taken aback by his compliment. "And you are looking very handsome, I must say."

"Of course! It's not every day you get to dance with your girlfriend."

"Roxas, we danced every week for a year together in year 9."

"Yeah, but that was the result of a botched enrollment," He chuckled, "I haven't done any dancing since."

"Such a shame, you were so graceful," Sora called out from nearby, earning a light shove from the blonde boy.

"Shut up, Sora," Roxas laughed, turning back to Naminé. "Anyway, this is way more special. Besides…" He leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on Naminé's forehead. "I want to dance all my dances with you."

Naminé smiled as she heard Selphie let out an 'awwww!' and rolled her eyes at the boy. "That's sweet, Roxas, but I can't promise the same. Being in a major ballet company and all, I kinda have to dance with other guys…"

"You just ruined that adorable moment, Nam," Kairi laughed, and everyone joined in.

"It's okay, I still love her," Roxas quipped, planting a kiss atop her hand. Naminé shook her head but couldn't wipe the smile from her face. How was it that year 9 was already two years ago? Now they were all at the tail-end of year 11, ready to go to the deb ball. Next year would be their final year of high school.

There had definitely been a lot less drama in the years since the Create Festival (bar Selphie's boy troubles, and the great incident with Mr. Strife and Mr. Leonheart, but those were stories for another day). But one thing always remained the same: their group of friends stayed strong, and the usual spot was never void of laughter and banter. Naminé didn't want to think about the day when they'd have to leave the school, and instead focused on the now: getting in a stretch limo with all her friends, dressed up and ready for a fun night, and holding hands with the boy she loved more than anyone.

When they arrived and entered the hall, Naminé spotted many of their friends and couldn't help but comment how grown up they all looked. She saw Zidane kissing Garnet's hand, having finally won her affection this year. She saw Marlene and Denzel awkwardly holding hands. She saw Tidus and Yuna laughing together, with Wakka and Rikku beside them. So many of their friends had come, either as couples or just as friends, to join in the fun.

"Isn't this so fun!?" Selphie squealed, gripping Pence's arm. "It's like a dream!"

"See? I told you we all had to do this!" Kairi nodded with pride. Naminé remembered the day she brought in the sign-up sheets, practically forcing the boys to sign – not that they needed too much persuading.

"Let's enjoy it while we can, before the stress of our final year kicks in," Olette commented, and Hayner groaned beside her.

"Don't remind me, Olette! I hate studying…"

Naminé giggled, taking in the scene around her while they waited for the teachers to set up the microphone for the presentation. She glanced over at Xion and Axel, who were whispering to each other and smiling. She was so glad that Xion had found happiness in the fiery redhead (he'd finally asked her out after Roxas dared him to, and Naminé had dressed the girl for her first date with him). They were the perfect example of opposites attracting, that was for sure. Xion caught her eye and smiled warmly at the blonde.

Roxas turned his head towards his girlfriend, her arm linked with his. "Do you remember that one time we were dancing at your house and you taught me how to slow dance?"

"Vividly," Naminé quipped, nodding with vigour. "We almost kissed!"

Roxas chuckled. "I wanted to kiss you so badly. Anyway, can you teach me some of it now?"

"Roxas, we've already learned how to waltz for today."

"I know," Roxas chuckled, "but the dance floor is empty right now. Let's have some fun!"

Naminé shook her head at her boyfriend's antics, but followed him onto the floor anyway, stepping close to him. "Okay, let's try a quickstep then!"

"Urgh, I'm having flashbacks to year 9…" Roxas cringed, making Naminé laugh.

They danced slowly together to absolutely no music, Naminé resting her head on Roxas' shoulder, being watched on by their friends and teachers as they filled the room. Pulling back, Roxas leaned down and kissed Naminé on the lips softly.

"I love you…" He whispered, squeezing her hand as they swayed on the spot.

Naminé thought back through all the events that had lead them here. From Roxas handing in his enrolment late, to their dance shenanigans, to her crush on Sora, their silly fights, the Create Festival, and everything in between… and through it all, all the laughter and fun they shared with their friends. She truly couldn't believe how lucky she was.

She looked up at Roxas with adoration and smiled. "I love you too."

x-x-x

Oh my gosh, that's a wrap! I can't believe I finally finished this story. I first came up with it when I was in year 9 myself many years ago, just 15 years old and knee deep in the kingdom hearts fandom – past me would be so proud of what I've created! Writing this has honestly made me so happy, reminded me of my roots and all the beautiful friendships I made by loving this game, and pushed my writing skills even further! I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me through this story, which I hope you found funny, heart-warming and a little pocket of KH goodness. Thank you so much!

If you guys are interested, I'm also posting this story up on ao3 (archive of our own) where I uploaded the cover art for you to see nice and big! Also, this story could end up being a seriously dangerous drinking game (take a shot every time you see the word 'stupid'!)

And the very last note for you guys... the votes are in and it looks like you all want me to finish Flight 124 – so that's what I'm going to do! Make sure you set up alerts for that story as I work on building chapter two. I've proven to myself that taking a break from a story can do wonders, so I know leaving that first chapter on a three year hiatus will lead to something special. Until the next story!


End file.
